What is airsoft?
To put it into its simplest
form it’s a combat sport played with replica models of real firearms but firing
BB’s is a great and cheaper alternative to paintball and less messy! Sounds
simple enough, but it is how you play airsoft that can make it so addictive and
exhilarating. There are many different ways to play airsoft ranging from
shooting your friends on a standard skirmish right up to Milsim, which I will
explain about in another post.
What can I expect from a days airsoft?
Again it is all about what
you put into it as to what you get out, on a standard game day you will
probably be playing scenarios such as capture the flag, get to the enemies base
etc. Some of you maybe thinking, “oh just like at paintball.” Let me give you a
friendly word of advice don’t say that if you are at airsoft, there’s a slight
rivalry between the sports. Anyway depending on the site you will need to book
in advance so the site knows numbers for food etc, it usually costs on average
between £30-40 and this usually includes; your rental rifle, site dependant,
your first allotment of ammunition which is usually 3000 rounds and face
protection.
So once you have found a site
that you like the look of, have booked up and arrived what can you expect to
see? You will mostly see a lot of camouflage in all patterns and colours and
people walking to the booking office laden with bags and kit.
At your first skirmish it can
seem daunting with people armed to the teeth with so many different and cooler
looking guns than your rental. Don’t let this phase you, they all started with
a rental gun at some point, including myself. Once everyone is booked in and
sorted there will be a safety brief which will cover your dos and don’ts and
each sites procedures. Then it’s off to your start marker and away you go.
So far I’ve not really
painted a different picture to that of paintball but it is when you get into
your first fire fight and start hearing the BBs whack and slam off cover whilst
trying to return fire remembering to wind your magazine on which I’ll explain about
later. Taking your first hit is definitely an experience. It stings oooh yes,
now there isn’t a paint spot where you were hit so all you have to do is put
your hands in the air and shout HIT! or DEAD! Or as I’ve heard OWWWW HIT! So
many of you may come away with a few battle scars but will have had a great
laugh. It’s an honour-based game and cheaters never prosper. Many sites will
not stand for it and will send them packing I have seen it happen.
So why is it different to paintball?
So far it does sound similar
to paintball but it’s when you look at the weaponry you can use in airsoft
compared to paintballing. A rental rifle is usually an M4 or a variant, if you Google
airsoft M4 you will see loads of responses and the first thing you may think is
they look so real which is the whole point of airsoft for the weapons to look
realistic and have realistic functions. The magazines are changeable if you run
out so if you have two magazine runs out you can eject one and pocket it while
ramming another in the mag well and carrying on instead of having to open a
flap to pour your paint in. I will go into more details into how the different
guns work, but for now the rental rifle you get will be known as an AEG
(Airsoft electric gun.) A battery and a spring instead of gas power it, some of
these can reach absolutely astonishing rates of fire, but again that’s for
another day. The kit you wear is again what makes airsoft different, for your
first skirmish I would recommend and old pair of trousers, boots and an old top
you don’t mind getting dirty. I do say boots because trainers will get ruined,
summer is not too much of a problem because the mud has dried out but I mainly say
boots for the ankle support. You will be provided with face protection and
unlike paintball it’s not plastic! So it doesn’t steam up, it’s a fine steel
mesh which allows good vision and also doesn’t fog up which is another pro. Of
course when you look around on the day you will see a lot of people running
with different set ups and once you’ve been a few times and think you want to
get serious you can change up what you want to wear.
So that is a very basic intro
to airsoft and I will bring you more in following posts. Until then I can
recommend some websites to browse for ideas of what is out there weaponry wise
and some YouTube links from people who have used Go Pros. When looking through
the websites you might want to buy some to play with in the back garden or a
field but you wont be able to without a valid UKARA license (United Kingdom
Airsoft Retailers Association) feel free to browse their website but I will go
into this in more detail in another post.
Where is your first skirmish going to be?
Glen.
