Choosing your first airsoft gun is a very exciting process, but it can feel overwhelming at times. There’s so many different options, how do you find the option that’s right for you?
Let’s talk about some of my recommendations, as well as the other items you’ll need to get started on the right foot when beginning your airsoft journey.
There’s three main topics we’ll be discussing today: choosing the rifle itself, the accessories and BBs you’ll need to make sure it runs properly, and last but not least safety equipment.
Throughout this article, I’ll be mentioning some of my favorite products and brands that I’ve used over my 12+ years playing airsoft, and they’ll be linked as well. One of the brands I recommend for beginner players the most frequently is Elite Force. They have a great range of products for any budget, and have almost everything you’ll need.
Choosing your First Airsoft Rifle
This is arguably the most exciting part, and the area new players focus on the most when getting into the hobby of airsoft. If you can think of a rifle in the real world (or in fantasy) there’s more than likely an airsoft replica of it. There’s over 100 different brands and dozens of rifle models available, so what should you choose?
I recommend new players begin with an M4 style rifle like this one from Elite Force for many reasons. There are a lot of options available, and M4 style rifles are the most common type of airsoft gun available. This means there are the most compatible accessories and spare parts, which is important for repairs or customizing the rifle to be unique.
You should be looking for an Automatic Electric Gun (AEG) when shopping for your first airsoft gun. There are other models of airsoft guns that run off high-pressure air tanks (like a paintball gun) or CO2 canisters stored internally, but these are more expensive than AEGs and can be a hassle for new players.
AEGs provide incredible reliability, performance, and are the best bang for your buck. They’re also the most common type of airsoft gun, which makes them easy to find when shopping.
When picking out an airsoft gun, you should make sure to find one that has the right velocity for where you plan to play. In the product description, look for the “Feet Per Second” or FPS of the rifle. This is very important to make sure you can use your new airsoft gun at the field closest to you.
If you plan on playing at outdoor fields, your airsoft gun can fire up to 400 feet per second. If you’re going to an indoor field, that velocity is reduced to only 350 feet per second. These are average numbers based on fields across the United States, and some countries have higher or lower limits. Any good airsoft field has their FPS limits posted on their website.
If you have both outdoor and indoor fields near you, I suggest buying a rifle that is cleared for indoor use. More FPS isn’t always better, and the quality of the rifle and your BBs can drastically improve your accuracy and range. When you go to an airsoft field, your gun will be tested to make sure it meets the velocity limits before you’re allowed to play.
The Accessories You’ll Need
Another reason I recommend M4s to new players is many of them have attachment systems for accessories such as red dot scopes. There are three main attachment systems, Picatinny rail (the cost common) MLOK and KeyMod. Picatinny rail uses a screwed down bolt to hold attachments to the rifle, which MLOK and KeyMod use “negative space” to hold attentions under tension with a screw. You will never find MLOK or KeyMod on the body of a rifle, only on the handguard. There adaptors to add standard picatinny attachments to an MLOK or KeyMod handguards, which is why I recommend them to most players.
More: The BEST Red Dot Sights under $100
Airsoft guns need a power source to function. When we discussed Automatic Electric Guns, your mind probably went “These need some sort of battery” and you’d be correct!
There are two main styles of airsoft batteries, Nickel Metal Hydrite (NiMh) and Lithium Polymer (LiPo) batteries. Each have their own advantages and disadvantages, and AEGs can be powered by either.
LiPo batteries are more powerful and are the preferred choice of experienced players. Theses come in multiples of 3.7 Volts per cell, and 7.4V and 11.1V LiPos are the most found styles of batteries. The major downside with LiPo batteries is that if you let them reach zero percent power, they’re permanently dead. Multi-cell LiPos also required the cells to be balanced, which requires a special charger.
NiMh batteries are easier to handle than LiPos and are commonly used among new players. Theses come in multiple of 2.4 Volts per cell, and 9.6V is the only style of NiMh battery worth buying in my opinion. For reference, and 9.6V NiMh battery is the same power as a 7.4V LiPo battery.
NiMh batteries can be recharged from zero percent battery, which makes them much easier to handle and store long term. They also require their own special charger, and you should never use the wrong style charger for a battery. This could cause an electrical fire.
Next, you’ll need high quality BBs for your airsoft gun to fire. Airsoft BBs are not reusable, and I recommend you buy the best you can afford. Another reason I like Elite Force is that they offer their own BBs, and I’ve been using this brand for years without issues.
All airsoft BBS are 6 Millimeters wide (with exceptions for some rare collectable guns) but there a lot of different weights of BBs. Extra weight is important because it helps keep the BB stable while it is flying though the air and prevents it from flying off course due to wind or getting knocked around if you’re shooting through brush.
The minimum weight I recommend for players is a .25-gram BB, and the weight is easily found on the front of every bottle of BBS. If you want to spend a few more dollars for better accuracy, a .28 gram or .30-gram BB is even better. Beyond this, you’re getting diminishing returns, and you could run the risk of losing range.
Another reason I recommend not going below a .25-gram BB is to avoid air bubbles. To make their BBs lighter, some brands have small air pockets inside of them. This leads to a lower quality BB, which could shatter in your gun causing a jam and taking you out of the game. Depending on where the BB breaks, it could also be an expensive repair.
Many players like to have spare magazines on them to carry extra ammo, and AEGs have two main types of spare magazines. A Mid Cap magazine works very similarly to a real firearm magazine, where a spring pushes ammunition up and into the chamber of the rifle. These hold anywhere from 100-200 BBs and add a realistic component to the game.
High-Capacity Magazines (Hi-Caps) use a hopper and rachet system to feed BBS into the gun. These hold 300 or more BBs which requires you to reload less often, but they can cause a rattling sound when moving. The rachet also needs to be spun every 30-50 rounds to feed more BBs into the gun.
Airsoft Safety Equipment
Safety is a very important aspect of airsoft, and there are specific pieces of equipment you need before being allowed on the field. The most important piece of airsoft equipment is a high-quality pair of goggles.
This is an area where I recommend spending a little bit more to buy the best that you can afford. Protecting your eyes, teeth and other sensitive parts of your body is worth a few extra bucks.
Airsoft googles need to be ANSI Z.87.1 rating. This means you can’t use ski goggles, sunglasses, or anything else you have laying around the house. There’s lot of brands out there, but I really like ESS.
I have a set of shooter glasses from them, as well as a larger goggle for when I’m playing indoors for extra protection. Another great brand is Pyramex, which has many high-quality options.
Our Favorite Goggles and Safety Equipment
In addition to goggles, I like to wear a protective mask to prevent getting shot in the teeth or nose. There’s plenty of options available, but I really like the One Tigris masks. These are unique because they have a hard mesh center to provide protection for your teeth but have a padded fabric on the side. This helps to provide protection for your cheeks, but also allows the mask to contour to your face which makes aiming easier.
Many players prefer to use paintball masks, which provide the most protection for your face. They provide a great field of view and protect a lot of your lower face as well for an all-in-one option.
Our final thoughts
There’s a lot of things to consider when starting your adventure into the hobby of airsoft. This guide serves as a starting point, and everything mentioned in this article will help you prepare for your first game.
Most importantly, remember to have fun!
Heads up: Buying via our links may result in us earning a commission. Also, we take your privacy rights seriously. Learn more here.
Want to stay up to date with new articles from The BB Warrior? Sign up for our newsletter!
1 thought on “What to know before buying your first Airsoft Gun”
Comments are closed.