Airsoft - What do You Think?

[thecavemankevin]

i will never let it replace paintball for me, but a pb local store just started carrying some airsoft stuff. I am probably going to get a gas powered berreta for fun.

to those of you that already play, what are some good informative web sites on airsoft?

[benzy2]

Me and my friends played airsoft for a while. We didnt buy the expensive guns and wanted something we could play more often than paintball and be cheaper. Well the lack of power from the guns turned us off. We couldnt tell if we were hit honestly if we were running at any distance. Recently we bought the cheap electric mni guns and play in our basements and have a lot of fun. Decent rate of fire in close combat makes a big rush to me. I think it was worth the 20 bucks for the gun and the 15 for the 4000 rounds. It will never give the same rush that speed ball does.

[Sir_Brass]

Originally posted by 1ofkind
I got a friend thats trying 2 get into air soft. He just spend 400 bucks on a mph5 submachine gun. The whole point of air soft is its like playing with real guns. Seeing they have no range you got to play close to each other, so its like the movies.

It's exactly like the movies, actually. Here's a little bit of well known trivia for you Matrix buffs: The Matrix gun scenes were filmed with the actors and acrtress using AIRSOFT guns, not props .

[fallout11]

Quote from Goatboy:
"Airsoft seems to remind me of the good ol' days of paintball, where the quote "Paintball is a game of honor" used to be a part of the daily rule speech at the field. The crowd's certainly changed as everyone knows.

Is it an alternative to paintball? I definitely think it is. What's it's future? That one I'm not so certain of. Who's to say it won't undergo a similar path to paintball? Paintball grew, and as it did, it fell prey to the weaknesses of our society at large. If airsoft grows the same way, it won't have the saving graces of a quarter-sized paint splat.

For me, airsoft would be a REAL alternative to the rare occasions where you would have an unreffed pick up game with some friends. Considering the cost, I'd go for the airsoft, hands down."



Goatboy has hit the nail on the head here. Airsoft reminds me very much of what paintball "was", a decade or more ago.

In many ways, I wish I could roll back the clock to that age.
I've always been one drawn to the more military/tactical-styled games anyway (I guess it's the ex-military in me). Sure, that means playing "war" with toy guns, if you will. With more honorable people.
It was these features which drew me to paintball in the first place, back in the mid-80's. We were already playing "war games" in the woods, except with laser tag gear.

I barely recognize what paintball has evolved into in the last 17 years. That's longer than many current p-ball players have even been alive.
Airsoft, on the other hand....

So I've also been thinking of dabbling in airsoft. It has a certain attraction, and is at least as big if not bigger than paintball in many countries (Australia, Japan, and the UK, for instance), and it's growing on the west coast here.
Winning isn't really important in airsoft (think rec ball), and equipment and ammunition wise, it's cheaper than paintball, but does has it's own disadvantages.

Time will tell, I suppose.

[mag-hatter]

whats the history of airsoft? how long has is been around?

[fallout11]

Airsoft history....

Here's a quote:
"Airsoft, as we know it today, originated in Japan in the 1980s, when people, unable to possess real guns , wanted high quality replicas of guns (which also fired something)."

I knew it originated in Japan, and have seen airsoft replicas (as their called) for sale here in the US as early as the mid-1980s.

And Japan, in general, is not well known for originating "lame" concepts. Sorry, Cledford.

[Garrum]

Yes, it's an old topic. I just found it. Deal with it.

Several people have said that they are against Airsoft because there is too much chance of being shot by the Police.

Do this. Get your Mag/Cocker/Spyder whatever, and walk ANYWHERE that a Cop can see you. You will be looking down the barrel of a gun just as fast as the Airsofter. The police don't take the time to try and figure out anything beyond "Barrel, Grip, GUN! ". So that is a bogus argument, because it applies just as much to us as to them.

Several people have said that airsoft is just playing with toy guns, and that it is immature.

You go into the playing area, avoiding enemy fire, while attempting to eliminate the opposition. Which game did I just describe? Both. We both play with toy guns, but only some of us are immature. I won't say which ones.

Several people have said that Airsoft is too much of a wargame, and that it gives paintball a bad image.

If Airsoft is too war-like for you, but paintball is A-OK, then you need to stop eating Xanex's with your non-dairy mocha latte, because you have a badly skewed view of reality. Both games involve the deliberate shooting of other people with guns. No amount of rediculous color in your jersey, no amount of chrome and purple anodizing on your gun, no amount of talking badly about us camo wearing, redneck woodsballers /airsofters is going to change that fact. You can try to use smoke and mirrors, calling your gun a marker, demeaning anything other than airball/speedball, talking incessantly about 'shedding our violent roots'. But you are laboring in vain. The public at large will either accept us as we are, or they will not. Because to the average Nancy and Frank, our 'markers' look a whole lot like real guns. They will either say," Wow that looks like they are having a blast! You want to try?" or they will say, "OMG! THEY ARE SHOOTING EACH OTHER! CALL THE NATIONAL GUARD!"

What is more important than what we look like, is how we act and how we treat people, both other players, and non-players. The worst image going right now, is that of the tourney player. Routinely foul-mouthed, pitching fits on and off the field, getting into fights, cheating rampantly, arrogance oozing from every pore. THAT is a bad image to project. Playing with honor, being friendly and helpful to new players, inviting non-players to come and play, these things will change the public's view of our hobbies far more powerfully than simply playing with bright yellow outfits on a sup-air field.

[Sir_Brass]

Originally posted by Garrum
Yes, it's an old topic. I just found it. Deal with it.

Several people have said that they are against Airsoft because there is too much chance of being shot by the Police.

Do this. Get your Mag/Cocker/Spyder whatever, and walk ANYWHERE that a Cop can see you. You will be looking down the barrel of a gun just as fast as the Airsofter. The police don't take the time to try and figure out anything beyond "Barrel, Grip, GUN! ". So that is a bogus argument, because it applies just as much to us as to them.

Several people have said that airsoft is just playing with toy guns, and that it is immature.

You go into the playing area, avoiding enemy fire, while attempting to eliminate the opposition. Which game did I just describe? Both. We both play with toy guns, but only some of us are immature. I won't say which ones.

Several people have said that Airsoft is too much of a wargame, and that it gives paintball a bad image.

If Airsoft is too war-like for you, but paintball is A-OK, then you need to stop eating Xanex's with your non-dairy mocha latte, because you have a badly skewed view of reality. Both games involve the deliberate shooting of other people with guns. No amount of rediculous color in your jersey, no amount of chrome and purple anodizing on your gun, no amount of talking badly about us camo wearing, redneck woodsballers /airsofters is going to change that fact. You can try to use smoke and mirrors, calling your gun a marker, demeaning anything other than airball/speedball, talking incessantly about 'shedding our violent roots'. But you are laboring in vain. The public at large will either accept us as we are, or they will not. Because to the average Nancy and Frank, our 'markers' look a whole lot like real guns. They will either say," Wow that looks like they are having a blast! You want to try?" or they will say, "OMG! THEY ARE SHOOTING EACH OTHER! CALL THE NATIONAL GUARD!"

What is more important than what we look like, is how we act and how we treat people, both other players, and non-players. The worst image going right now, is that of the tourney player. Routinely foul-mouthed, pitching fits on and off the field, getting into fights, cheating rampantly, arrogance oozing from every pore. THAT is a bad image to project. Playing with honor, being friendly and helpful to new players, inviting non-players to come and play, these things will change the public's view of our hobbies far more powerfully than simply playing with bright yellow outfits on a sup-air field.

I do believe that that was the most beautiful summation of how I feel about this whole deal!

Someone give this man a medal!

[SuiciDal Sn Y p ER]

...that was only his 11th post!

I think we got ourselves a pretty smart member here

[Enigma4you]

Airsoft?

This topic has been kicked around our store more than a few times, We as a store have decided to try a limited trail of it. I think that there is a cross of players that will find both paintball and airsoft appealing. FOr a bussiness not to try and exploit that market would be stupid. The sports are close enuf that to a bussines owner it is just an expansion of an already existing market in paintball. This is a example, sundays at our field are very slow, there is no place for a walk on game of airsoft, should we fill that void by offering it as an option on sundays? what would the cost to us be? not alot, this is a game that at this time does no require a ref and our field is open anyway. What does it cost to bring in the stock for air soft? again not alot and it expands our customer base. I say go for it.

[ramenjames]

i dont like airsoft AT ALL
i think it (along with armotech and warsensor) make paintball seem like we are a bunch of goons running around in the woods trianing to overthrow the govt. or something along those lines (i say airsoft does because it gets lumped in with paintball) and that is a hindarance to our great sport

[badinfo]

So many things to answer....
Alot of folks said it is a different game, I think Garrum asnwered that to my satisfaction, we are all shooting guns at each other to eliminate the opposing team, not that much difference.

However, after playing paintball for over 15 years I just can't imagine how the honor system is going to work

The honor system is nice, but not to realistic in a big battle

Ya know, when I first played paintball, we did play honorably, maybe it was just the guys I played with, but I saw more than one guy walk on a bounce....paintball seems to have lost whatever honor it once had for sure. Believe it or not, you can act honorably without someone enforcing it. I am in the SCA, a medieval group that holds a two week battle event each year with somewhere around 3-4000 fighters on the field, combat is full contact with hits made on......the honor system. It works, it has for over 30 years now.

its very childish, I stopped playing with toy guns when I was 7

That is just too funny. Nuff said.

they have guys dressed up as terrorists w/ their AKs and its pretty creepy, i know if a cop saw that, he d shoot him in a split second, not a smart move to dress up for that.

I also used to do a lot of reenacting, every time period you can think of, WW2 involves lots of guys running around in the woods with REAL guns, including machine guns *gasp*
No one has ever been shot by a policeman at one of these events, why? Because they arent running around in some suburban neighborhood with those guns. As long as airsoft events are held in specific places like reenactments or legit paintball, this is not an issue. And as stated elsewhere in this post, if you think you stand a lesser chance running around town with a paintgun than an airsoft gun think again. The cop will see it as a gun first, no matter which one it is. Keep it in yer case till ya get to the field...duh.

airsoft make people violent

LMAO

one of the hosts of the morning radio station that i listen too reccently bought his oldest son an airsoft gun. and like kids will do his son and his friends were playing around in the neighborhood. someone saw a "person dressed in all black and carring an m16" and they called the cops. then the cops had no idea they were airsoft guns and drew his sidearm and had a kid on the ground.

A fine example of parenting. I had a .22 at 8, several bb guns, paintball guns werent around yet. Those bb guns and the .22 were NEVER toted around the neighborhood. My folks woulda skinned me.

i dont like airsoft AT ALL i think it (along with armotech and warsensor) make paintball seem like we are a bunch of goons running around in the woods trianing to overthrow the govt. or something along those lines (i say airsoft does because it gets lumped in with paintball) and that is a hindarance to our great sport

I see plenty of goons on the pball field, most of em are wearing jerseys though

Do you really think John Q Public sees a difference. People shooting other people with guns either way. In fact, I find the gansta wannabes more repulsive myself. Most firearms related crimes are not commited by someone in camo with an assault type weapon anyway.

I havent tried airsoft yet, no one in my area, but I have read plenty of the airsoft forums and there are lots of mature intelligent folks posting there. I like some of those forums better than one or two pball forums which shall remain nameless. One of the reasons I like to hang out here actually, lots of thoughtful posters amongst you AO folks.

So endeth the epic.

badinfo...who just realised his sig is a bit of a givaway lol.

[conk_kool_a1d]

undefined well to me airsoft is soooooo stupid first who knows when they're hit "honor system" my @$$ i think airsoft is just pointless want to be paintballers and second people often relate pb to "neo-nazis" well i have seen a hated foe of myne playing airsoft and i can tell you something about neo-nazis jesus they got there 3k ghillie suit ub3r l337 stickers omg retarted pssh

[jesseyo13]

Ive seen very very small paintballs for air soft. They were like 6$ for 1000 I think. Thats the only way that I would want to play it. I think if you are really into the woodsball stuff and like the scenario type games it could be really fun. I know that they travel faster than paintballs.

[TDonovan]

One reason I'll always like paintball over airsoft.

Paintball hurts more, airsoft doesn't. Maybe I'm a little odd, but to me the whole appeal of paintball was being struck or shooting someone with a projectile that would "give them something to think about".