Airsoft

You may be wondering, “What is Airsoft all about?” To give you a general understanding, here are the basics you need to know about Airsoft. Airsoft is a sport in which the players simulate combat, warfare, or other military scenarios using authentic military tactics and replica weapons. Airsoft guns use 6mm BBs made of ABS plastic as ammunition, which generally weigh from .12g to .43g on average. Airsoft guns themselves are almost always exact replicas of real military weapons. Airsoft as a sport is extremely popular in east Asia, mainly Korea, China and Japan, where real firearms are near impossible to obtain for personal use due to strict laws, and as a result, most Airsoft guns are manufactured in these countries.

Now that Airsoft has been defined, perhaps a little about Airsoft as a sport and some knowledge about Airsoft history is in order. Airsoft itself has been credited to many sources, and most websites are vague or repetitive, even usually giving out incorrect information when it comes to the subject. However, Airsoft as we know it today has its history in both Japan and America, going back about 30 or 40 years. In Japan, ownership of firearms was banned in the 1960’s, and the response was the production of extremely realistic and collectable replicas of real military firearms. In America, air guns were expanded with handguns that fired pellets stored in shells, very similar to spring Airsoft guns today. Before the end of the 1970’s, these were introduced into the Japanese market as “soft-air” guns. Naturally the Japanese took the system and began to incorporate it into their own extremely realistic false gun models and created the perfect, non-lethal realistic alternative to actual firearms. These then became popular in the Asian markets as “soft-air” or “air-soft” guns. Gas-powered Airsoft guns evolved into cheaper-made AEGs (Automatic Electric Guns) in the mid 1990’s.

Airsoft is quickly and rapidly gaining in popularity despite its rather stifled history. Before it gained popularity across long distances, Airsoft was mainly played in Asia, and as a result, people in Canada, Europe and America only heard about Airsoft through those people that frequented Asian countries. Many of them would bring back video footage of Airsoft games or media about Airsoft, and of course, souvenirs, which lead to the small and somewhat contained forming and spreading of small Airsoft groups throughout Europe, Canada and eventually the United States. With the rising of the internet, information became easily shareable over a vast area. APEC (Asia Pacific Enterprise Corporation) was the first Airsoft company to take advantage of the internet as far as selling its products online. Several companies followed this trend and continued to share and disperse knowledge about Airsoft to the masses.

Today, Airsoft as a recreational activity is continuing to grow at an alarming rate. Airsoft itself is a safe and fun way to enjoy the recreational aspects of firearms without the dangers of real guns. Airsoft stores are opening all over the country, and more websites are becoming available for sharing information and purchasing Airsoft equipment and accessories. The increasing number of Airsoft participants is allowing for more sponsored events, more organized teams and games, and of course, more entertainment for the players. Currently Airsoft is enjoyed by thousands of people all over the world, and will likely enjoy a prosperous future