About Airsoft

Airsoft in its modern day form started back in the early 80s in Asia. It grew in popularity there very quickly to the point that today there are thousands of players comprising thousands of different teams throughout the continent.

Airsoft is a combat tag along a similar vein to paintball, except that the projectiles leave no actual mark upon impact. Airsoft devices or replicas are 1:1 scale models of real world firearms and players will often also invest in a similar BDU(Battle Dress Uniform) to the armies which use their chosen replica style ie: M4 with an American style BDU, AK-series with Russian and the G36 with German.

Airsoft devices fire a 6mm spherical plastic pellet which weights 0.2grams typically and is commonly referred to as a “BB”. As mentioned, this BB does not leave a mark on impact with the target, hence the sport operates on an honour basis. That is to say, that when you are shot you raise your arm in the air, shout “HIT!”, and proceed to follow the directions for getting hit as determined by the game scenario and set out in the brief given at the start of the game.

One of the most common remarks made when people first hear about airsoft is that the pellets must really hurt when they hit you. The truth is that it is no worse than getting a stiff flick to exposed skin and in the vast majority of cases will leave no marks whatsoever. If fired from extremely close range on exposed skin, they can leave a very small bruise or may crack the skin very slightly but that is the worst case scenario. Unlike paintball, YOU WILL NOT BE BLACK AND BLUE AFTER A DAY OF AIRSOFTING.

The reason for this is that the legal limit for the muzzle energy of airsoft replicas as laid out in the Criminal Justice Act 2006 is 1 Joule. Now that term means very little to the vast majority of people but to put it into perspective, 1Joule is the same kinetic energy held in a tennis ball as it hits the ground after falling from a height of 1 meter. In airsoft terms, this translates to a 0.2g BB travelling at a maximum speed of 328 feet per second as it leaves the barrel of the device. This energy level has been scientifically shown to be incapable of causing a penetrating wound even to vulnerable areas of the body such as the eye. (This does not, however, mean that it will not cause temporary damage to the eye and eye protection is mandatory at all times when using airsoft devices).

The sport is growing at an incredible rate in this country at the moment. The number of sites and retailers is increasing rapidly as is the number of players. This is a trend that we are delighted to see and one which we hope will continue.

Airsoft as a sport is suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels and attracts people from all nationalities. It promotes social interaction and is the source of great cross border community spirit on account of regular games played both north and south of the border. It is a sport which can be as mentally challenging as it is physically challenging. It has been shown many times in this sport that youth will have a hard time beating experience, as having a tactical edge and good teamwork will always win out over the ability to run fast. It encourages teamwork, builds friendships, helps us rediscover the great outdoors and is above all great fun.