Airsoft is a game simulating military scenarios. More specifically, “it’s a game where players shoot each other with spherical plastic capsules containing biodegradable liquid called paintballs.” The objective of airsoft is to be the first team to eliminate the opposition or capture their flag. Outfits define their own house rules for matches and games; however, there are some basic rules that all outfits generally follow everywhere you play airsoft around the country or around the world (even if they don’t want to).
How old do you have to be to play airsoft?
In the United States, all airsoft guns are required to have at least an orange tip on them. It’s a federal law and if you travel abroad with your airsoft gun, it must be covered in a bright color. There is no minimum age for airsoft players in most countries around the world except Japan where players under 18 years old need their parent or guardian consent to play. In the United States, many age divisions allow players as young as 10 years old but Outfit X may say that they don’t allow anyone younger than 12 or 13 years old. Be sure to ask these questions when inquiring about joining a new outfit because it can affect your enjoyment of playing airsoft later on depending on what division you start out in.
What gear do you need to play airsoft?
There’s a variety of gear needed to play airsoft. You can’t just show up at the field with an airsoft gun and expect to play. If you do, you’ll probably be turned away because everyone is required to have certain gear. Safety is one of the most important factors in playing this sport so it makes sense that all players are required to supply their own eye protection (glasses or goggles), magazines, speed loader(s) / hicaps / mid-caps, hydration system, or any other form of hydration (water bottle), barrel bag/sleeve/condom for every time you’re on the playing field, bb’s, holster for sidearms, helmet for outdoor play, elbow pads/pads in general, knee pads/pads in general, gloves, long sleeve shirt or jacket to cover up your forearms and shins, pants to cover up everything you’re wearing above the ankle (not shorts), boots if you plan on doing any running around the field. There are certain requirements depending on how high speed or action-oriented each game is so it’s good to be prepared to ask questions about what type of gear you’ll need before showing up at a new place.
What equipment do people use?
There are all sorts of airsoft guns out there that can fire plastic bbs at well over 400 feet per second! These range from spring action pistols to fully automatic electric guns. There are gas-powered airsoft pistols that shoot a little slower but have a more realistic kick and there are high-end sniper rifles that can go over 1,000 feet per second if you want to be the real “one-man army” at the field. Ammunition for these airsoft guns come in all shapes and sizes from regular capacity mid-caps or hicaps to speed loaders or small cylinder containers attached to magazines. Most players will tell you that they went with spring action pistols because it was the cheapest route to take when getting into this sport. I started out using a pistol as well which could only hold 12 rounds at a time so if I wanted to play a quick round of CQB (close quarters battle) I needed at least 4 to 6 magazines. If I played in a game that incorporated an objective, I would need even more magazines for my pistol because the lack of firepower meant that i’d have to resort to my secondary weapon or sidearm which could be a revolver or handgun with unlimited ammo capacity but very low range and accuracy.
