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Airsoft guns are not real guns though they are designed and functions similarly to real firearms. Material used to make airsoft guns are usually plastic or metal which propel plastic pellets called as BBs, using compressed air. BBs are 5-8 mm round or spherical pellets weighing 110-600 mg. Three main types of airsoft guns are spring-powered, electric-powered or gas-powered
airsoft guns.
Spring-powered guns cannot be automatic or semi-automatic |
and this cause them to be
different from electric-powered and gas-powered guns. Before each shot is fired, the spring has to be cocked and this can be done by pulling back the slide or bolt by the user. They are usually used for “sniper” and “marksman” functions though they may not be appropriate for close combat competitions.
On the other hand, gas-powered guns propel BBs using pressurized gases such as propane and HFC134a refrigerant. Some may use carbon dioxide and nitrogen though they are not as widely used. They have adjustable velocities and blowback features, which make them have advantages over the other two types of guns. Blowback guns can be automatic or semi-automatic because it uses onboard or magazine stored gas storage systems, using the same compressed air which propels the pellet for the slide to be pulled back.
Electric-powered guns or automatic electric guns origin from Japan during the late 1990s and electrical power from an onboard battery is used to drive a motor. Gears will then be turned inside the gun for a piston to be compressed and released.
What propels the BB is actually a blast of air which is created by the piston. Electric-powered guns are popular for competitions nowadays and they can fire about 600-900 rounds in a minute.
