Airsoft gun

Airsoft guns are highly detailed firearm replicas manufactured for recreational purposes. Airsoft guns propel non-metallic 6mm pellets at muzzle velocities ranging from 30 to 260 m/s (100 to 850 ft/s) by way of compressed gas or a spring-driven piston. Depending on the mechanism driving the pellet, an airsoft gun can be operated manually or cycled by either compressed gas (such as Green Gas, propane, or Co2), a spring, or an electric motor.

Airsoft is safe with proper care, and the recommended playing age is 18 or above. The plastic projectiles expelled from airsoft guns travel at fairly low velocity and are too light to penetrate the skin. Though some heavier projectiles made of copper or metal can penetrate skin, they are banned at all Airsoft events.

However, weapons upgraded to higher than 500 fps (feet per second) can penetrate the skin at shorter distances.[citation needed] This is usually countered by such high-power weapons either being disallowed or restricted from being fired within a minimum engagement distance. All sites require players to wear protective eyewear, in the form of goggles, masks or glasses. Many Airsoft sites require players to be 18 years or older to play.

In 1980s Japan it was illegal to own a firearm, but there was a large interest in them. Because of this interest, manufacturers started to produce realistic looking spring-powered guns. These guns fired several calibers of plastic or rubber BBs, but were eventually standardized into 6&_160;mm and 8&_160;mm sizes. The early spring powered weapons then morphed into gas powered ones, using a variety of systems. The hobby then migrated to North America in the mid 1990s.[1] Then low powered spring guns transformed into Classic airsoft. About ten years after this time, Japan hit a recession just as AEGs, or automatic electric guns, hit the market. Many old manufacturers were lost, leaving Tokyo Marui, inventor of the AEG, as the primary manufacturer. Marui then invented an improved Hop up system, further improving the accuracy and range of the weapons. In the early 2000s, Classic Army of Hong Kong entered the scene and gradually improved its quality of guns until it now rivals Tokyo Marui. A few years later countless Chinese brands flooded [2] the market with cheap entry level weapons. For an airsoft gun to be legally imported into the United States, or commercially sold in the United States, it must have a blaze orange (ASTM 875 or brighter) tip.