Airsoft is a rapidly growing, exciting sport that
allows players to safely fire at each other with firearm replicas in realistic
military simulation. If you’ve found this page, you probably have at least some
interest in becoming a part of the world of Airsoft, and this is a great place
to start. Airsoft can be played solely for entertainment purposes, to get
active and improve health, or for military & law enforcement training purposes.
Whatever the reason, the first and most important thing you need to know are
the safety rules & regulations that go with Airsoft gun use. With just a
little bit of knowledge you can help Airsoft continue to be the safe and
incredibly fun sport it has become over the last few decades. Failure to follow
proper Airsoft safety procedures can result in injury and/or serious legal
repercussions. It is the responsibility of every individual who uses or owns Airsoft
replicas to understand and follow proper safety precautions, and to be aware
of any state and/or local laws governing the use of Airsoft replicas in
their particular area.
The realistic nature of Airsoft replicas is one of
the major draws of the hobby, and the gun manufacturers do an incredible job
making the replicas look almost exactly like their real steel counterparts.
Real steel is a term used in Airsoft when referring to actual deadly firearms.
Many high quality Airsoft replicas will be virtually indistinguishable from the
real steel firearm they were based on, except for the safety orange tip they
are required to be sold with by law. Never remove this safety orange tip.
You must also treat your Airsoft gun as if it is a real gun. Although you
know it is an Airsoft gun, to the average bystander it could easily appear as
if you are wielding an actual firearm. They may not notice the safety orange
tip, and many criminals will actually paint the tip of their real firearms safety
orange to confuse people. I personally know people who have been arrested at
gunpoint while playing with clear plastic Airsoft pistols that anybody could
see were clearly not actual firearms. This should prove to you that regardless
of your intentions, people may become frightened by your Airsoft replicas. If a
bystander is concerned and notifies the police, it is very likely they will
treat you as if you are wielding an actual firearm.
Always transport your Airsoft gun
in a proper gun case or at the very least something like a duffle bag
or box where the gun will not be visible. Do not play Airsoft in public places such as
schools or parks¸ doing so will put you at risk of serious legal
repercussions. A good rule of thumb is to assume that anyone who sees you will think
you are wielding actual firearms. Private land that is concealed to passerby or
approved Airsoft fields are ideal. Never wield your Airsoft gun in a manner
than any reasonable person could find threatening. This is a crime, and
when Airsoft guns are involved in a crime you can be charged as though it was a
real firearm.
Although Airsoft replicas when operated properly are
very safe, they are still firearms and must be treated as such. Most if not all
of the safety rules of real steel firearms also apply to Airsoft. For example, never
point your gun at anything you aren’t willing to shoot. Misfires
happen, BBs stay loaded even with the magazine out, and anything you point at
has a real possibility of being shot. For this reason never point at any animal,
or person who is not wearing proper safety equipment. And please, please don’t
look down the barrel, ever. Even if you are wearing approved safety
goggles, at such close range it is possible to cause yourself injury if a BB
accidentally fires. Always keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire.
The correct position for your index finger is above the trigger, along the
side of the gun. Always keep your Airsoft gun unloaded until ready for use as
well.
Finally, you must always
wear eye protection when playing with Airsoft guns. Plastic full-face
masks are ideal, and required at some fields. Some fields will let you play
with just the safety goggles, but it is highly recommended that you wear a full
mask or at least some face protection such as a balaclava (ski mask) or head
wrap. I’ve known many people who played using only safety goggles, right up
until the point that they had a tooth chipped or ear mangled by a BB. You might
want to wear gloves too, as being shot in the knuckle is not really that fun. It
is also important to make sure that you fire at a safe FPS. FPS stands for
“Feet Per Second” and is a measurement of how fast the BBs fired by your Airsoft
gun are travelling. Airsoft fields will have a set FPS limit, generally of 350
or 400, and they will check your gun to make sure you are firing under that
limit. If you are playing with friends however, it is important that everybody
is firing at a safe FPS rate. You can purchase a machine called a chronograph to
clock what FPS your gun is firing at. They sell cheap ones for home use, or you
can just head down to HobbyTron and use ours for free, we have a range on site.
So far we have:
1. Be aware of any state and/or local
laws governing the use of Airsoft replicas.
2. Never remove the safety orange tip.
3. Treat your Airsoft gun as if it is
a real gun.
4. Transport your Airsoft gun in a proper gun case.
5. Do not play Airsoft in public
places such as schools or parks.
6. Never wield your Airsoft gun in a
manner than any reasonable person could find threatening.
7. Never point your gun at anything
you aren’t willing to shoot.
8. Don’t look down the barrel, ever.
9. Keep your finger off the trigger
until you are ready to fire.
10. Keep your Airsoft gun unloaded
until ready for us.
11. Wear eye protection when playing
with Airsoft guns.
12. Fire at a safe FPS.
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