Thursday, December 18, 2008

What is Airsoft?

By Alexander Malroy

Air soft refers to a sport wherein opponents aim to hit players on the other team with pellets that are made of a non metallic substance. These pellets are shot with a gun or a pistol. A manual sprig board launches out the pellets. The spring board is in turn powered by gas or electricity.

Its important to understand what Airsoft pistols are. Learning more about them will help protect you and those around you. Airsoft pistols resemble a paint pellet gun used in mock combat activity. Usually you see these types of guns for military simulations or reenactment of historical events such as the Civil War which is where air soft pistols are commonly used.

Non-metallic pellets are used in the gun and participants have to wear padded clothing because when the pellets come in contact with the skin it leaves bruise-like welts which can be somewhat painful. People who participate in using air guns are advised strongly to wear protective clothing and appropriate headgear and eyewear.

Most of the times the air guns games are played amidst natural settings. This can however be a threat to the animals or the hunters there. The participants of the game wear military fatigues. This helps them to stand apart from the trees or bushes that are present.

Airsoft guns are unique against its predecessor-the paintball guns. Airsoft guns do more damage than paintball guns because of its projectile speed, which is measured by joules. A small pellets can cause a skin to break much like an over scratched mosquito bite on skin. However, it can do more damage to the eyes that may lead to blindness. In line with these, safety guidelines are strictly enforced during the game, extending to the non-players of the game such as the support team or the Marshalls.

It is very important that the participants wear protective eye gear as well as head gear. These protective coverings are helpful to withstand the velocity as well as the speed of the pellets and the paintballs. These will then not cause any damage to the participants.

Proper attitude are also observed during the game. Aside from the knowledge of how to use the airsoft guns, participants are required to know the ethics of the game, such as not to point the guns if not in the game proper itself, no cursing or using of bad language during the game, acknowledging if being shot and no shooting at a surrendering enemy.

Airsoft pistols are relatively safe weapons to use when a handler has been properly trained and these are extremely popular in foreign countries where military simulations are a common hobby and this is a popular game among Filipinos in a commercial setting. Airsoft makes a model of air gun that resembles an AK-47 just smaller which can sometimes throw off people because the color and type almost makes it look too much like a real assault rifle. Only 4 states permit the use of Airsoft guns and air guns in general and have been banned for use in some places.

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