| As the Sport of Airsoft grows in popularity | | | | important to most, and trust me I am all |
| today, many enthusiasts of both the Sport of | | | | about getting the best for my money) what are |
| Airsoft and the Sport of Paintball have | | | | the differences between the sports that one |
| debated over the differences and | | | | can draw a clear contrast about? What makes |
| similarities, in the comparisons of both | | | | one sport different from the other? One of |
| sports. Questions eventually come to the | | | | the major differences are the guns for each |
| following: Which sport is better? What sport | | | | sport. All Paintball guns, also known as |
| is more cost effective? What is the | | | | "Markers," have a similar style and look, |
| difference between Airsoft guns and Paintball | | | | only varying in specifications rather than in |
| guns? Finally, which sport is geared toward a | | | | styles. There's not much more to the |
| larger demographic of people? I will briefly | | | | variations except the quality and |
| examine both sides of the Airsoft and | | | | effectiveness of the Paintball guns. There is |
| Paintball argument and hopefully come to an | | | | hardly any diversity or character when it |
| opinion on which sport is emerging and which | | | | comes to each gun simply because they are |
| sport is fading out. The initial argument | | | | made to specifications. Airsoft guns have 1:1 |
| between the Sport of Airsoft and the Sport of | | | | scale replicas. This means they actually look |
| Paintball has been the cost differences | | | | like the real thing, so much so that all the |
| between each sport. However, if you take a | | | | guns come with a federally mandated orange |
| closer look at the costs for each sport you | | | | tip. It is interesting to note that these |
| will find that both sports have an initial | | | | guns also come with metal components making |
| investment. For both sports, if you want to | | | | even the weight of the replica guns very |
| get completely decked out in every form of | | | | similar to the actual gun. Plus, you can find |
| equipment available you are looking to spend | | | | many of the guns that you would have some |
| up into the hundreds of dollars and sometimes | | | | interest in using, like an M16, Sniper Rifle, |
| into the thousands. There are variations in | | | | or an AK47. Some would say this is scary, but |
| the pricing, but let's say you use tons of | | | | others (including the Airsoft enthusiast) |
| ammo in Airsoft and not so much (which I | | | | would consider this a great way to own an |
| think is unlikely) in Paintball then you will | | | | arsenal that is not lethal, nor illegal for |
| spend more on ammo for Airsoft (again this is | | | | that matter. I know the reader might be |
| very unlikely). This money can be spent over | | | | saying that as far as cost's are concerned, |
| a period of time if you are not seriously | | | | "one cannot draw a conclusion on which sport |
| trying to compete in the sports. Most people | | | | out does the other," but as we have looked |
| continue to talk about the costs and how one | | | | into the matter deeper we have found that |
| sport is cheaper than the other but it | | | | realistic attributes can make a big |
| depends on what you want and what you are | | | | difference in what you would want to |
| looking for in each sport that will actually | | | | participate in. In fact it makes all the |
| determine what you will spend. This includes | | | | difference for me! In this part one of The |
| everything from the gun, equipment and ammo, | | | | Sport of Airsoft vs. The Sport of Paintball |
| to the upgrades. In other words, either sport | | | | we have concluded that that money or cost has |
| can be relatively cheap or relatively | | | | no bearing on whether the Sport of Airsoft is |
| expensive, it all depends on you. So if the | | | | better than the Sport of Paintball. |
| money is not so important (well it's | | | | |