Getting Started in Airsoft & Buying Your First Gun

So you wanna get started playing Airsoft huh? Well, you are going to need a gun, so let’s get started. One of the most important questions to ask yourself is why you want an Airsoft gun. Is it for target shooting? Are you going to be involved in Airsoft games with friends or at a local field? Do you just want a cool gun replica to mess around with? Regardless of your intentions, the most important thing to know when starting out in Airsoft is safety. We’ve already discussed Airsoft safety in our previous post, take a look. If you follow these guidelines and exercise common sense, you’ll be fine. In this post we’ll be assuming you want to eventually be involved in some form of competitive Airsoft skirmish. If you just want a cool replica I would suggest Classic Army or G&G, they make some killer guns over there that are really heavy, full metal, and do an incredible job of mimicking their real steel counterparts. If you want something just for target shooting maybe look in to Gas Blowback guns. They are amazingly entertaining because they have more realistic recoil and moving slides. If you are more in the market for a sniper rifle then bolt action is the way to go. Bolt action rifles work the same as the cheapy $20 clear Desert Eagles and such, except you can get very high quality ones that are full metal and shoot at speeds up towards 700FPS. However, if you plan on actually being involved in Airsoft skirmishes, I recommend purchasing an AEG. This is only a suggestion of course; you can play with anything you want and be effective with it if you are good enough. But AEGs are what most Airsoft players start on, what most rental guns are, and what most people at your local Airsoft field will be carrying as their primary weapon.

AEG stands for Automatic Electric Gun, and it’s pretty much what you would imagine: a gun that uses electricity to fire automatically. These are different from gas powered Airsoft guns, which use gas as a propellant for the BB instead of air. There are also simple pump-operation Airsoft guns that must be cocked before each shot, and more recently Electric Blow Back operation has been featured too. These guns use a battery instead of gas, but still provide more realistic recoil. They are generally low quality though and I wouldn’t recommend one unless you want to spend under $50. Even then you could probably find a used GBB pistol and it would work much better. However, there are many reasons that I’m suggesting an AEG for your first Airsoft gun. First of all they are well priced and readily available. You can pick up a really nice quality AEG from Jing Gong or a similar company brand new for well under $200. There are a multitude of models and companies to choose from, and I guarantee there is one out there that is perfect for you and can be picked up for not too much money. AEGs have fairly simple operation. The internals basically consist of a couple wires, a few gears, a motor, and a spring. It isn’t exactly that simple, but with all the resources available online these days you should have no problem maintaining your own AEG. AEGs have high rates of fire as well. Some people have managed to get their guns up to thirty BBs a second and other such astounding numbers. Depending on what you buy you should easily be able to get at least ten BBs a second. AEG’s are versatile and easy to maintain, and their popularity ensures upgrades and replacement parts are easily obtained.

In our next couple posts you will read up on AEG and GBB operation, maybe looked at some bolt action snipers, and you've made a decision as to which category you will be purchasing in. So how do you figure out what gun to buy? There are many resources online, including our own HobbyTron Forums which you can use to ask questions and figure out what is the best purchase for you. But where do you start? I suggest starting with the model. The Airsoft business is a fairly complicated one, with certain companies actually just selling re-branded versions (AKA clones) of other companies’ guns. For example, Echo 1 is a company that sells re-branded Jing Gong guns. Often there is nothing wrong with these “ re-branding” companies. Some, like Airsoft Elite for example, actually upgrade the internals of the original gun (which in the case of Airsoft Elite is an ICS). For this reason and others, choosing a company to purchase from can be complicated. However, choosing a model of Airsoft gun is quite easy. It’s mostly a personal thing. Some people like M4s, some people like AK-47s, RPKs, MP5s, Galils, AUGs, whatever. It is up to you to choose what model you would like to shoot, because internally they won’t differ much. The shape and size of individual components will be different, but the operation will be essentially the same. It is up to you to decide which model fits in your shoulder nicely, is the right weight, has the right sights for you, etc. If you are considering purchasing an Airsoft gun you probably already have one in mind. Perhaps you have a favorite weapon in Call of Duty, or want a gun that is used by a specific country’s military forces. This is an entirely personal choice and if you are having trouble deciding I suggest going to a local shop or field (or come stop by HobbyTron if you are in the LA area), and just picking up the different guns and finding one you like. Remember that most guns will have different variations with different stock lengths, or vertical grips, so most models can be outfitted to work perfectly for you. I would suggest some kind of rifle or sub-machine gun, maybe an M4, AK-47, or MP5, because these are very common and there are a lot of upgrades for them.

Once you have decided on a specific model it is time to choose a company. Start by finding out which companies offer the particular model you are looking for, and in which price range. Echo 1 and Jing Gong are good examples of cheaper (but still high quality) brands, Classic Army and Western Arms are the more expensive brands, and mid range brands include ICS, KWA, and Tokyo Marui. Don’t buy anything from Crosman, it’s the Walmart brand and they make truly terrible guns. With each of these companies there will probably be a major deciding factor that helps you pick. One company’s offering might shoot at a higher FPS, or have a fully metal body, or in the case of an AK-47, have real wood grips and stock. You’ll have to do a little bit of research to find these things out, but it shouldn’t take you more than a few hours to gather enough information to make a good decision. If you can’t decide between two or three companies, just head over to our forums and make a “KWA vs ICS MP5” thread or something similar, and we’ll get an expert to fully explain the differences to you.

Buying an Airsoft gun can be a complicated decision, especially when it’s your first gun and you don’t know much about the industry or its technical aspects. Just remember that most of the time you get what you pay for, but if you shop around and wait for things to go on sale you can save a lot of money. Jing Gong and Echo 1 guns are high quality and comparatively cheap. A lot of them don’t have full metal bodies and the gearboxes aren't of the best possible quality, but for the money they are excellent guns that are perfect for beginners. These days the awful sporting goods store brands (like Crosman) charge up to $100 for their Airsoft guns. For maybe $150 you can have a high quality AEG with replaceable parts that will last forever provided you properly maintain it and replace parts as needed. Later on you will probably want to buy a different gun anyway, so you might as well buy an entry-range brand like Jing Gong, and get a more expensive model later. Or you can buy a mid-range gun from a company like ICS or Tokyo Marui and you’ll probably never have to buy another AEG again if you don’t want to. It all depends on the price range, but just make sure you are purchasing from a legitimate company. As a rule of thumb, Japanese and Taiwanese brands are high quality, Chinese brands aren't. This extends to BBs and basically everything else in Airsoft although there are exceptions to the rule. Do your research, take your time, and you will end up with a gun you can fully rely on in battle. So grab a gun from HobbyTron and I will see you on the field.

History of Airsoft

Electric Airsoft Rifles

Airsoft is a relatively new sport that only began gaining popularity in the Western world in the 1990’s. It was originally developed in Japan and first became popular there, China, and Korea. America has played an important part in Airsoft development as well, and the sport is now immensely popular here. The history of Airsoft is a complicated one that isn’t explored often enough. Until the late 80's early 90’s, virtually no one in the West knew anything about Airsoft unless they had been or knew someone that had been to Asia and witnessed games over there. The internet was instrumental in the growth of Airsoft, as its invention allowed the earliest fans of Airsoft in America and Europe to purchase replicas for the first time. But to fully understand the history of Airsoft, we must travel back to a time well before the internet changed the world. We must travel to a decade of excellent music and horrendous fashion choices, the groovy 1960’s.

Since the 1960’s it has been illegal in Japan for any civilian to own firearms. They say necessity is the mother of invention, and Airsoft is proof of that. The Japanese market needed something they could use for target shooting, as various shooting sports already existed in Japan at the time of the firearms ban. It is also important to note that Japan has a penchant for plastic models, be they replicas of vehicles, firearms, or giant laser-shooting robots. It is not surprising, then, that high quality gun replicas were quickly introduced. These early replicas were extremely detailed and collectable. They were similar to blank-firing guns and even had full-auto capabilities. They did not, however, fire projectiles. At the same time in America, Daisy Outdoor Products (makers of the famous Red Ryder BB gun) began introducing a handgun series that fired small, round pellets encased in shells, similar to modern Airsoft revolvers. The pellets were fired at low power and did not go very far, and these guns were referred to as “soft-air” guns. Back in Japan, this technology was influential in the creation of what were essentially modern Airsoft guns, with both springers and gas-powered replicas becoming available in a variety of models by the mid 80’s. Many of the models had high metal content and were much more powerful than the Daisy “soft-air” guns. This is when the sport of Airsoft was born, having been made possible by the advent of well made, non-lethal, projectile-firing replica firearms. Until this point, Airsoft replicas had mostly been used for target shooting and collecting.

Airsoft Sniper Rifles

While all this development was happening in Asia, in America the sport of paintball had been created by a bunch of people messing about with guns originally meant for marking utility companies’ power poles. Paintball guns would follow a trend that emphasized functionality over realism. This, coupled with the family friendly image that paintball strived hard for in the early days, meant that paintball gun manufacturers steered away from realistic-looking firearms. It wasn’t until recent years that realistic paintball guns even became available beyond the scope of a very small niche market. This would later be important as Airsoft began to spread to the Western world, because by the 80’s and 90’s paintball was already popular in America and many European countries. Paintball is more popular than Airsoft in these countries, but as the sports are (arguably) quite similar, paintball’s success invariably helped the assimilation of Airsoft in to Western culture. Airsoft also benefitted from the family friendly image paintball had successfully created for itself. Although Airsoft is associated more with MilSim (Military Simulation), the public’s general acceptance of a sport that involved shooting at each other was almost certainly beneficial.

By the late 80’s and early 90’s both paintball and Japanese model kits had become popular in America and Europe. In the 90’s, Tokyo Marui created the first ever Automatic Electric Gun. AEGs helped Airsoft’s popularity immensely because, among other things, they were cheaper to manufacture, used no gas, and were more reliable. They became so popular that gas guns dropped out of favor and many manufacturers went out of business. However Tokyo Marui, along with some competitors, started developing more effective gas systems and began producing gas-powered guns that did not require an external tank for the gas (like those featured on modern paintball guns). Hop up systems were also invented at this time. By the mid to late 90’s AEGs were available in both America and Europe, and Airsoft really took off.

G&G Airsoft Guns

Today Airsoft is rapidly growing in popularity all over the world. Still extremely popular in Asia, Airsoft is now firmly cemented in America, Europe (especially the UK and Italy), Canada, and other countries around the world. There are professionally run fields everywhere, and the number of these fields is almost certainly dwarfed by the number of makeshift fields that kids and adults have built for themselves and their friends. There are a large number of manufactures making high quality Airsoft replicas, and they are even frequently used in films and on television. Today even Walmart sells Airsoft guns. They are terrible so don’t buy them, but it really says something about the popularity our little sport has gained in the last couple of decades.  So the next time you fire an Airsoft gun, remember that without overbearing Japanese gun control laws it wouldn’t even exist. So grab a gun from HobbyTron and I will see you on the field.

Why Airsoft? (A Guide for Parents)

Airsoft Goggles

So you’re minding your own business, watching some TV or doing some yard work, when suddenly your child asks if he or she can play Airsoft. You probably have some preconceived notions about Airsoft and that is just fine, but I’m hoping to convince you that Airsoft promotes good health, is safe and indeed even beneficial to a child’s development. The fact that guns are used is generally the deterrent, at least from a parent’s standpoint. At the end of the day though, Airsoft is nothing more than an advanced game of tag or capture the flag. The guns just make it more fun. No one is aggressive when playing Airsoft, fields provide an extremely friendly atmosphere, and basically everyone is just there to have a good time with their friends. Although there is an obvious relationship with military forces, no sort of indoctrination takes place and most Airsoft players don’t have any sort of background in the military, nor do they ever intend to.

Airsoft Masks

Airsoft guns are not like any toy, they fire projectiles at high rates of speed. They are capable of inflicting injury if not used properly, and proper safety rules must be observed. However, if safety rules are observed, then Airsoft is about as safe a sport as you can get. I played football as a kid and I’ll tell you it’s a heck of a lot safer than that. I’m willing to bet it’s safer than hockey, baseball, and basketball too.  It is up to the individual to be smart, use common sense, and follow a strict set of safety rules in order to create a safe playing environment for everyone involved. For this reason, Airsoft is a useful tool for teaching children that wonderful concept every parent loves so much: responsibility. In Airsoft, failure to comply with safety procedures have consequences. If you play Airsoft you know getting shot with an Airsoft BB hurts, and so children can recognize the seriousness of the situation. Even if you don’t go along and play together with your kids, (which I suggest you do, it’s really a whole lot of fun and a great relationship builder – it forces you to count on each other) they will have a lot of support from the experienced people that work at the field, and from the older players. In Airsoft, one person’s safety habits have an effect on everybody, so believe me the other players will make sure children follow correct procedures. Trusting a child with this sort of responsibility is a leap of good faith, and they will appreciate the opportunity to prove themselves in front of the other players at the field. It is better that children learn Airsoft gun safety from a qualified referee or field employee, because otherwise they will probably end up learning a complete lack of it from their friends.

Airsoft, of course, is a physical game. You do a lot of sprinting, crouching, squatting, carrying a heavy gun around, throwing (grenades), crawling, and all manner of other physical activities. A game of Airsoft definitely gets the blood pumping, but is so much fun that it doesn’t really seem like working out. Try a game of Airsoft out for yourself, play a couple hours and tell me your thighs aren’t burning. You do a lot of full speed sprinting, then squatting, then more sprinting. This activity is comparable to interval training and wears out the muscles pretty quickly. Generally playing Airsoft involves at least 4 hours spent at the field, so that is quite a lot of exercise and you will be sore the next morning – from running, not from getting shot. Core strength, cardiovascular health, and flexibility can all be improved by Airsoft play, and many children who aren’t the biggest fans of physical activity end up really loving Airsoft.

Airsoft Protective Gear

Besides physical benefits, there are mental ones as well. Airsoft is a competitive game where you rely on the skills of you and your teammates to avoid losing and getting shot. This relying on yourself to not get hurt is a huge confidence builder. Self-reliance is, unfortunately, a dying skill set these days in our increasingly padded society. It is important for a person to know that they can count on themselves to act appropriately in a stressful situation. Team sports teach about the importance of teamwork, and although Airsoft is generally played on teams it really comes down to individual performance whether you tag someone out or get tagged yourself. When you win the big game you are proud of your team, but when you sneak around to the back of the field and get three people to surrender at once, you are proud of yourself. It’s important to know that in a one on one situation, you can get the better of people and come out victorious.

Airsoft is a game of responsibility, physical activity, and mental fortitude. It’s enjoyed the world over and increases in popularity every year. Irresponsible handling of an Airsoft gun can lead to consequences, but safe operation is a breeze and the first thing taught to new players. Fields provide friendly environments and stress safety over every other aspect of the game. So when your child asks you for an Airsoft gun, don’t panic. With proper safety instruction Airsoft is a perfectly safe activity that promotes self-confidence and health, and boy is it a lot of fun. So grab some guns from HobbyTron, bring the whole family and I will see you out on the field.

Introduction to Airsoft and Airsoft Safety

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.

This is by no means the end-all list of Airsoft safety rules. Always use common sense and good judgment. Although this has been quite serious, Airsoft is tremendously fun and really not very dangerous. Don’t quote me on this but I believe there are more injuries from bowling every year. Most of the injuries received through Airsoft end up being things like twisted ankles or pulled hamstrings, running around outside is basically the most dangerous aspect of the sport. It can be and is enjoyed by folks of all ages. It is important that you be familiar with safety rules, and believe me you will become familiar with them if you start playing Airsoft seriously, because if you break them you will probably get yelled at or get hurt. Most of the rules are common sense, and I hope this post has given you a good foundation to start on. Following proper safety procedures is not only for your safety, but also for the safety of those around you. Furthermore, when safety procedures are not followed and an incident occurs, it makes the entire sport of Airsoft look bad. There are a lot of legal issues we have to deal with to enjoy this sport we love, and those who do not follow correct procedures make it harder for everybody. So have fun, be safe, and don’t be an idiot. You’ll be fine. So grab a gun from HobbyTron and I will see you on the field.

The Police Will Respond -- Airsoft: Be Smart

It seems that every day I run across some news about people being stupid with Airsoft guns. If you have an Airsoft gun be smart. Remember, safety first...keep the stupidity in the privacy of your own home.


If it looks real, like nearly all Airsoft guns do, then the police will treat you as though it is real.

If your kids do anything like this, then it is time to step up as a parent and teach them how to properly handle Airsoft Guns. Read here for more information on that.

These guns look pretty real to me...and they will look real to any policeman as well. Just be smart...be smart for the sake of the rest of us who love the sport.

Boys playing with fake guns get arrested for real by cops

 Courier-Islander

Walking down the road with a machine gun, real or replica, is a good way to risk staring down a group of RCMP gun barrels.

That was the message from Campbell River RCMP Monday after a 'high-risk take down' of three boys with toy guns early Sunday morning.

Police were called at 1: 57 a.m. Sunday after somebody saw a male, dressed in black clothing, carrying a machine gun and walking down Spit Road. Police responded with guns drawn, only to find three boys, aged 13, 15 and 16, who were playing with 'airsoft' pellet guns. The toy guns are normally clear and/or have orange muzzles, but these guns, three handguns and an assault rifle, had been blacked out.
Police say the boys weren't injured during the high-risk take down. Fortunately the boys put the guns down in the grass just before police arrived. They were arrested for possession of weapons dangerous to the public and possession of imitation firearms.

The police are reminding the public that toy guns look realistic to police, especially at night, and especially when the orange muzzles have been blacked out. This is the second call of this sort of nature in a few weeks, causing police to be on high alert and tying up police resources.

It is scary for the public to be arrested at gun point by police and it is scary for police to attend to these sorts of calls. Police believe the guns are real until proven otherwise.

(See original article here.)

Teens Arrested With Airsoft Guns!

Campbell River, Canada: Three teenagers (aged 13, 15 and 16) risked their lives by showing their Airsoft guns in public after painting them black.

The Police received a complaint of a male that was dressed in all black clothing walking down a road carrying a machine gun. The local police responded and located three youths matching this description. The officers took them into custody.

“In this instance the youths put the weapons down in the grass just prior to police arrival, and there were no injuries. But police had their guns drawn, and there was “potential for lethal oversight,” according to Sgt. Craig Massey of the Campbell River RCMP.”

The teenagers produced four airsoft guns, three hand guns where the orange tip was “removed” and one clear Airsoft rifle that they painted it black.

They were arrested for possession of imitation firearms and possession of weapons dangerous to the public. However restorative justice is being considered, as the youths have no history of criminal records and fully cooperated with police.

That's just another example that supports the theses, that SB 798, as a law that forces Airsoft guns to be neon colored, will never change anything, because the endless stupidity of people can't be prohibited by any law.

_{Source: Campbell River Morror, Postmedia News}

By http://www.airsoft2day.com - World Airsoft News - Read full article: http://www.airsoft2day.com/news/398-ca-teens-arrested-with-airsoft-guns.html#ixzz1WivIC0HB

West Seattle Crime Watch: More details on pellet-gun arrests

My take on this whole thing is that parents need to step up and teach responsibility and safety in the use of Airsoft guns to their children. If the kids don't comply then they take away their guns until they are 18 and move out on their own. It would be nice not to have to deal with stuff like this tearing down our beloved sport, but alas, there area always a few fools out there to ruin the fun for everyone.

Proper Airsoft safety should be observed by everyone using Airsoft guns. Never shoot them out in the public...I just thought that was common sense. But I guess it is not because kids continually pull these kinds of stunts. Almost as bad are the innocent kids playing Airsoft in their front yards, or in the local wash or woods. They don't know it but when someone sees them and doesn't know what they are doing, they will call the police because they have guns. If you want to play outside, play in a fenced in back yard, inform the police that you will be in the wash or woods if your laws allow you to play on public land, better yet, only play at designated Airsoft fields. To learn more about Airsoft safety and ways you can support our sport visit the Airsoft Safety Foundation.

Well, you can read the story below about three idiots who lack common sense.

West Seattle Crime Watch: More details on pellet-gun arrests
Courtesy of West Seattle Blog
 
We’ve finally obtained the report on the drive-by pellet-gun-shooting arrests first reported here last week, when police arrested three 17-year-old boys after two people reported getting hit in Arbor Heights. Read on for the narrative, including one suspect allegedly admitting to police they had done this before:
This is a transcription of the police report, except for names and specific addresses; we are referring to the three suspects as Suspects 1, 2, and 3. (We usually do not identify any suspects who are not charged, and we will usually not identify suspects under 18 unless they are charged as adults.):

On August 18th at 2245 hours [the officer who wrote the report] responded to (11400 block of 37th SW) where (the victim) called in to report he had been shot in the chest by people in a vehicle. (He) told Dispatch it must have been a BB gun he was shot with and described the vehicle as a dark-colored 4-door, possibly a Nissan. (He) was unable to see inside the vehicle to see what the occupants looked like but could tell there were three people inside. At 2251 hours (another victim) called in to report he was walking at 35th/114th when he was shot at with a pellet or BB gun, again from people in a vehicle. (He) described the vehicle was a black Honda accord type vehicle that left NB on 35th SW. (He) also described two passengers as white males around 18-22 years old with short hair.
(An acting sergeant) saw a dark-colored vehicle driving northbound on 35th SW as he entered the vicinity of the call and also saw there were three occupants inside, all who matched the description of white males 18-22 with short hair. The vehicle was stopped at 10200 35th SW and (Suspects 1, 2, 3) were removed from the vehicle and an AR15 style airsoft rifle was removed as well. Suspect 1 was driving the vehicle with Suspect 2 in the passenger seat and Suspect 3 was in the back seat. The airsoft rifle was in the back seat with Suspect 3 and was covered up by a sweatshirt with the squirt gun filled with soda. All three were taken into custody at the scene. I asked Suspects 2 and 3 who was shooting the rifle and Suspect 2 said it wasn’t him. When I turned the question toward Suspect 3 he immediately stated he wanted a lawyer. I did not ask him any further questions pertaining to the investigation.

The report goes on to say the two victims were brought to the scene of the stop and identified the suspects and/or the vehicle. It continues:

(The three suspects) were all read their Miranda warning and transported to the Southwest Precinct from the scene. (An officer) impounded the vehicle at the scene.
Once at the SW Precinct (suspect 1) and (suspect 2) gave written statements. According to Suspect 1, this is not the first time they had driven around while Suspect 3 shoots at things from inside the vehicle with his airsoft rifle. Suspect 1 stated they had probably shot about 4-5 people that he knew about including the 2 people tonight. Tonight he was driving around with Suspect 2 and they picked up Suspect 3 from a house he was watching at around 9:10 pm. They went to McDonald’s, got food, then headed to the Arbor Heights area approximately an hour after he picked up Suspect 3. When they got in the area, Suspect 3 began shooting cars and when he would see a person he would ask if he should shoot them. Suspect 1 stated he didn’t answer and Suspect 3 would shoot at the people anyway. They drove around for an hour shooting cars, signs and people for an hour before being stopped by the police. Suspect 1 stated it was always Suspect 3 with the airsoft rifle and he was always the driver.
Suspect 2 said the same thing as Suspect 1 but could not remember any time frame. When they picked up Suspect 3, Suspect 2 knew he had the airsoft rifle and figured he had it so they could shoot at people. This was the second time Suspect 2 was with Suspect 1 and Suspect 3 while shooting at people. Suspect 2 was in the front passenger seat and did not know what Suspect 3 was shooting at but could hear the sounds of the gun firing. Suspect 2 stated he had a squirt gun full of soda he was squirting cars and signs. He stated he squirted soda at the pizza delivery boy … right before Suspect 3 shot him with the airsoft rifle. Suspect 2 could not remember much of the night, stating it was a blur.
(An officer) took a picture of the (pizza delivery person’s) injury. (An acting sergeant) submitted the photos, the airsoft rifle, two banana-style magazines, bb container, 1000 bb’s, and the squirt gun into evidence. Within the last few weeks there have been several calls about people being shot at from a bb gun and described the vehicle as a dark-colored 4-door.
All three were released to parents or guardians at the Southwest Precinct.

The report notes that police request charges of assault be filed against the three suspects. As of yesterday, the case had not yet been referred to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; we are checking again today and will continue to check.

M4 3181 Electric Airsoft Rifle with M203 Grenade Launcher

I think just about every person with more than a couple Airsoft guns has an M4 style rifle.  It represents the classic assault rifle image permanently burned into our brains through military commercials and Call of Duty games (or Counterstrike for those of us born before the 90’s). If you have ever shot a real steel assault rifle, there is a fair chance it was an AR-15, which is basically an M4 for reasons I won’t get in to. While popular culture and the trust of the military have certainly added to the M4’s reputation, there are many other reasons why you’ll see extremely high numbers of them at your local Airsoft field. One of these is ease of customization. An M4 is actually kind of already customized. It’s essentially an M16 with a shorter barrel and retractable stock. The M series of rifles are one if not the most customizable rifles you can get.

This M4 3181 Electric Airsoft Rifle with M203 Grenade Launcher comes with everything you need to customize the rifle and make it suit your body type and playing style. It comes with two handguards, one of which has an RIS system for your flashlights, lasers, or what have you. It also comes with a vertical grip for the RIS handguard that you can attach anywhere to get the most comfortable fit for your particular size. Two adjustable stocks are also included, one has a cheek rest and BB holder which is a nice touch. The normal stock is pretty standard fare, fully adjustable with a screw-in system so it won’t slip around. For the record you cannot fit a battery in the stock. Most people with M4’s (including me), just run the battery to the hand guard anyway, which is where it’s located on this rifle, so that’s cool. With M4’s I personally think having the battery up front gives it the best balance anyway. A tactical 3 point sling is also included, with standard attachment points.  These generally cost ten or twenty dollars by themselves and are pretty much necessary, so the inclusion of one is a nice bonus.

This is a plastic-bodied Airsoft rifle with a lot of accessories for a really low price. It has a plastic gearbox and is marketed towards beginners, so they could have put out a really terrible product and probably gotten away with it. However there are some nice touches that make this rifle stand apart from other guns in the price range and really add to the quality. The barrel is metal which adds some weight to the gun and also saves it from being completely useless. Cocking the gun will pop open the plate that allows hop up adjustment.  This is a small thing but a lot of the more affordable rifles don’t have it and they always feel really cheap when they don’t. Also the rear sight aperture is adjustable for elevation and windage, a feature that every good rifle should have. The M4 3181 shoots around 300FPS as well which is just about as hot as most indoor Airsoft fields will allow you to fire.

Of course the pièce de résistance of this particular rifle is the included attachable M203 Grenade Launcher. It works pretty much like any M203, you pull back the pump shotgun-style to cock the launcher and then it has its own separate trigger to fire. However this one just fires BB’s straight out of the barrel, which is actually better for this particular set up. It might not be quite as cool an Airsoft grenade launcher that fires shells, but keep in mind that just one shell for one of those costs almost double the price of this entire rifle. I personally love the M203 Grenade Launcher solely because it makes a great backup weapon.  AEG’s have a tendency to jam. They also have a tendency to run out of ammo and batteries. The grenade launcher is a completely separate system from the rest of the rifle, and will still fire even if it isn’t attached. This means when you suddenly run out of mags and batteries you don’t have to quit. Your rifle basically becomes a shotgun, and you can still get some tags. Nobody likes playing decoy and I think shotgun blasting people with an M4 is certainly a better alternative. It’s a much better alternative than just calling yourself out, because that doesn’t help your team now does it? 

Overall the M4 3181 Electric Airsoft Rifle with M203 Grenade Launcher is a really good deal simply because it has everything you need to go play Airsoft and have a lot of fun with it. I’m not going to lie and say it’s the best AEG money can buy, because it isn’t. Is it the best AEG for the money? I don’t think that statement would be too far off base. This is an entry level rifle geared towards newer players, and I don’t think any newer players will be disappointed with it. The 300FPS rating is probably the most important factor, because if you aren’t shooting high enough FPS you won’t have range and you won’t hit anything.  Most indoor fields only allow 350FPS anyway, and a majority of players will shoot for something like 320 or 330FPS to avoid accidentally firing some BB’s over the 350 mark. Therefore you are going to be running with the pack and able to keep up. The firing rate on this M4 is very decent as well. I really like that it comes with a vertical grip, because this is the first attachment that usually gets bought for M4’s anyway. And of course the M203 Grenade Launcher, aside from just being really awesome, genuinely makes a very reliable backup to the rifle’s main operation. I really think this AEG surpasses anything else in its class and price range. Try it out for yourself.

The Legend 9050 Electric Gyro RC Helicopter

The Legend 9050 is an indoor/outdoor coaxial RC helicopter with the addition of gyro technology. This helicopter comes in at almost two and a half feet long and 9.5 inches high and is quite a bit larger than the next largest 3 channel gyro helicopter, the SkyAce 9099. This is where we get in to serious helicopter territory, and if you are planning on flying the Legend indoors you should make sure it’s in a large enough area. The Hobbytron warehouse is perfect, but your living room may not be. Unless of course you are fabulously wealthy and have a gigantic house with 30 foot ceilings, in which case congratulations to you. The Legend is extremely stable indoors, and goes pretty much unfazed by air conditioning vents, open windows and the like. Outside it fairs very well, although you should still only fly in stable weather conditions. Apparently the Legend 9050 can be flown to well over 300 feet, and the controller has a 200 foot range, so if you are flying from the balcony of your 10^th story apartment it works out very nicely. Either way, I didn’t have a comically large ruler with me  to test the height but this helicopter gets up there.  I could easily land on the roof of the Hobbytron warehouse and fly off again.

The Legend 9050 features essentially the same 3 channel remote as the Sky Ace. It still has the speed file switch and a light display that changes color as you go faster. The Legend is quite a bit harder to pilot than the Sky Ace and beginners will have a challenge to look forwards to. With the gyro technology it isn’t frustrating or anything, and is still actually quite easy, but it will take little bit of getting used to if you have never flown an RC helicopter before. With the PhantomS107 and Sky Ace 9099 almost anyone can pick them up and be flying confidently pretty much immediately. The Legend is larger than these helicopters, and beginners will likely have to put in some time before they are confident enough to start performing risky maneuvers. Unlike the Phantom and Sky Ace, the Legend does actually suffer from ground effect which means it does not stay in control when barely hovering off the ground. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a lightweight coaxial helicopter with 3 channel controls and a gyro; even beginners will master it pretty easily. It just might take a few hours instead of a few minutes.

The Legend is very light for its size but still has sturdy metal construction. You can’t throw it around without a care like you can with the Phantom, but it seems very durable and I’m thinking in the event of catastrophic failure on the pilot’s part it would still be ok. You might manage to take out the rear rotor or stabilizing bar, maybe some of the plastic body work, but the metal frame seems pretty indestructible and the main rotor blades are extremely flexible, as they are in all of Hobbytron’s 3channel gyro models. Of course all the parts are still easily replaceable and readily available so if you do break something it isn’t the end of the world (I promise).

In its class and for the price, I don’t really think you can beat the Legend 9050. The durability is a key aspect here. This helicopter will take a serious beating in a way that most helicopters won’t. You can also fly it wherever you want, and at high altitude which is always more fun for some reason. It is still great for beginners but gives them a little more room to breathe and grow. If I was going to buy a 3ch gyro helicopter, I would probably buy the Legend 9050.

Electric Mini RC Buggy

The Electric 1:52 Scale Mini Buggy is one of the biggest sellers we have at HobbyTron because everybody can use it. You don’t need any RC experience to have a lot of fun with the Mini Buggy, and it is suitable for ages 3 and up so it’s great for kids. It comes in 4 different colors and body styles. Mine is light blue and says “BANDOG” down the side.  I don’t know what a bandog is but it’s painted well and has a lot of detail for a 1:52 scale model, it even has little chrome exhaust pipes underneath. The box it comes in doubles as a display case as well so you can display the Mini Buggy proudly in your house. Mine sits on top of the TV. This buggy is only 5 inches long and fits in the palm of your hand so you can bring it anywhere with you. The antenna screws out of the controller to make that more compact as well, and fits nicely in a purse or bag. The Mini Buggy only takes 5 minutes to charge and plugs right in to the controller, so you can pull it out anywhere and start having fun. Kids love the Mini Buggy, I brought it to my daycare class and the only problem was them fighting over who got to use it next! You can also run four of them at the same time and race your friends, which is very fun. I’m not sure which color is the fastest so you’ll have to find out yourself. 

The Mini Buggy has real working suspension and rubber tires, and the back tires have spikes in them to help get you through loose surfaces. It also has automatic headlights that turn on when you go forward, so you can actually use the Mini Buggy in the dark if you want. Just by pressing down on the body you can tell that the suspension is very bouncy and it doesn’t have any trouble with dirt or asphalt. You can even drive this buggy over jumps which is fun, I made one out of a binder and the Mini Buggy handled it very well. The instruction manual says that if you take a turn at full speed you can accidentally flip the Mini Buggy over, but I tried a lot and am happy to report that it stayed on all four wheels the whole time. I actually tried a lot of things to flip it over and wasn’t able to, the top is kind of round so it always gets back on to its wheels.

I’m not going to lie, I had much more fun with the Mini Buggy than I was expecting. Its faster than I expected, going about 10mph on the right surfaces. You get about 10 minutes of racing on the 5 minute charge which is very good for an RC car. The range on the controller is supposedly 15-25 meters, and I got about 50 feet indoors with no problems which is really impressive for an RC car in this price range. Most cars in this price range can’t even go off-road, let alone everywhere.  I tested the Mini buggy on carpet, rock, dirt, asphalt, glass, and wood, and couldn’t find a terrain that stumped it. This is probably the most versatile 1:52 scale RC car I’ve ever used. 

I would recommend the Mini Buggy to anyone that wants a simple, fun RC car they can bring anywhere and use anytime. I would especially recommend it for children because it isn’t hard to use and they seem to really love it. The working suspension, rubber tires, working headlights, and tough construction really set it apart from other RC cars in the same price range, and I don’t really think you could get a better deal anywhere as far as the amount of technology packed in to this cute little guy. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had with a 1:52 scale RC car and is probably the most advanced one I’ve seen as well. I can’t wait for it to finish charging!

Sky Knight 9101 Electric Gyro RC Helicopter

In the world of 3 channel Gyro helicopters the Sky Knight rules the skies. It is the pretty much the biggest gyro helicopter we have before you get in to the really huge helicopters for outdoor use only.  The Sky Knight is actually intended to be an outdoor helicopter, but is small enough that you can still fly inside if you have a very large, open area. For a look at what gyro technology actually does in an RC helicopter you can check the blog post we did on the PhantomS107, but it mostly makes flying much, much easier for beginners. A gyro adds a level of stability that makes learning to fly RC helicopters a more pleasant experience. The Sky Knight 9101 puts gyro technology in a very large helicopter that is 31 inches long by 10.5 inches high, which for reference is about the size of Toto in The Wizard of Oz.

When flying your small dog, you may notice that it is easy and enjoyable. This is the gyro at work. After a simple trim adjustment the Sky Knight 9101 will go pretty much wherever you tell it to in a stable and consistent manner with little drama. The large size of this helicopter means environmental forces won’t affect it very much. You should still fly on calm days whenever possible, and never fly in extreme or hazardous conditions, but a light breeze will not affect the Sky Knight much at all. It can also fly to heights of around 160 feet and the remote has a range of well over 300 feet. With this helicopter you can fly anywhere you want, and 3 channel control means it can go up, down, left, right, forward, backward, and hover. It also has LED lights so you can fly at “knight”. That was pun, try to keep up.

The frame is painted black which actually makes it more sought after by RC enthusiasts, frames are usually just chrome and the black paint gives the Sky Knight an aggressive “stealth” look. The canopy has gone over well with the RC community as well, and I agree it is very appealing. A carbon fiber style finish on certain components is like icing on the cake, and all these combine to make a very attractive helicopter. Like most of Hobbytron’s 3 channel gyro helicopters, the Sky Knight 9101’s frame is constructed of lightweight metal and is extremely durable. The Sky Knight is a large, heavy helicopter and crashes might not go down so well with certain components, but the frame is solid as a rock and you would have a hard time trying to break it. Seeing as the Sky Knight is hobby grade, all of the parts can be found and replaced easily. Most of the repairs are simple and can be done yourself with only a small screwdriver. 

The Sky Knight is the perfect helicopter if you are looking for a 3 channel outdoor gyro helicopter. It’s basically the cheapest one you can get that is made specifically for outdoor use, the larger helicopters like the Colossus are more expensive, and smaller helicopters like the Legend 9050 will be more affected by environmental constraints. It has more features than any similar helicopter in its class, and extremely durable components. I would recommend it for beginners or anyone looking for a 3 channel gyro helicopter for outdoor use.