Airsoft Gun = Tagger
While Airsoft Taggers come in a wide variety of shapes and styles, they all perform the same function of propelling a BB towards a target. There are several different mechanical systems that may be employed to do this; Electric (battery) Powered, Spring Powered, Gas Powered, High-Pressure Air (HPA) Powered.
Some attributes, whether mechanical, size or style, may make some Airsoft Taggers better suited to certain game styles or player roles.
See below for further detail.
Electric
Automatic Electric Guns (AEGs) are the most common type of Airsoft gun found on the Airsoft field.
They are powered by a rechargeable battery and employ an electric motor and gears to work a piston which in turn compresses air to propel the BB down the barrel.
AEGs can seem overly complex at first, but are very consistent performers and their popularity ensures there are many models and styles to choose from.
Most AEGs feature a safe, semi-auto and full-auto fire options and tend to be run with high-capacity magazines.
Veteran players will often upgrade their AEG for better range or rate-of-fire depending on the way they use their gun on the field.
Gas
Gas Airsoft Guns are popular among those seeking an extra touch of realism. Compresses gas is stored either within the magazine or the body of the gun and is expelled in measured amounts to propel the BB down the barrel.
As the gas is ejected through the gun at creates a small feeling of recoil, or kick, which is missing from the popular AEG option.
There are a couple of downsides with using Gas guns though these are general considered a small price to pay for the extra realism.
Firstly, as the magazines require a reservoir for the gas they cannot hold as many BB’s as an AEG mag. Some Gas guns have a similar magazine capacity to their real-life counterpart, making them even more realistic to compete with.
Secondly, as gas compresses in colder temperatures it is possible for a gas gun user to experience a drop in range on cold days. This can put them at a disadvantage when up against AEGs which do not experience the same drop in performance.
Nearly all Airsoft Pistols are Gas powered. As these are typically used as side-arms for close engagement these lack of range or ammo does not affect their performance.
Spring
The first Airsoft guns that were created all used a basic spring-cocking mechanism. These have been surpassed by the more efficient and realistic AEG and Gas options but a few gun styles are still well sited to the older mechanics.
Sniper rifles and shotguns are both low rate of fire weapons that still function perfectly well in their roles using the spring mechanics. The sniper rifles tent to mimic the bolt action style and the shotguns are of the pump action variety.
Although sometimes considered out of date technology, the spring gun’s simplicity makes them cheaper to manufacture and easier to maintain.
Another benefit is that spring powered guns tend to be a lot quieter than AEG’s and some Gas guns, making them a great option for quiet sniping or getting the drop on players.
You also never need to worry about you gun running out of battery power or gas.
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