| If you're into airsoft, it is important to know how the | | | | trigger, which releases the spring and shoots out the |
| guns function. If you're not into airsoft, this is just | | | | pellet. The means of firing for this type of airsoft gun |
| another thing that is good to know. Like any advanced | | | | are relatively simple, as you can see. Electric airsoft |
| device (anything beyond the six simple machines or | | | | guns, also known as AEGs (for airsoft electric guns, or |
| the advanced machines that come from simply | | | | automatic electric guns), also use springs as the |
| combining a few of the six simple ones), airsoft guns | | | | method of propulsion. However, a battery powers the |
| are uniquely designed and, in some instances, are quite | | | | spring, which enables AEGs to be automatic or |
| complex. There are three types of airsoft guns; spring, | | | | semi-automatic. Another bonus is that AEGs are |
| electric, and gas. The types refer to the mechanism | | | | usually more powerful than spring, and although there |
| used for firing airsoft ammunition, which happen to be | | | | are several spring guns available that shoot at a higher |
| 6mm or 8mm small, spherical pellets. In most cases, the | | | | velocity (but those are expensive spring guns versus |
| pellets are plastic, but 6mm paintballs can be used as | | | | cheap AEGs), electric guns are widely believed to be |
| well. Airsoft guns differ from paintball guns mostly in | | | | superior. Finally, there are gas airsoft guns. These kinds |
| their appearance. Airsoft guns are made to be replicas | | | | of airsoft guns use pressurized gas as the means of |
| of real guns, so that the game has a more militaristic | | | | propulsion. There are several different kinds of gas |
| feel. Also, airsoft guns can be powered in numerous | | | | used, the most popular being green gas, although |
| ways, while paintball is basically limited only to various | | | | carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and high-pressure air can be |
| gases (even airsoft guns can be powered with more | | | | used. Like AEGs, gas guns are capable of both |
| gases than paintball). As stated, there are three types | | | | automatic and semi-automatic fire. When using a gas |
| of airsoft guns; each one will be gone over briefly | | | | airsoft gun, the velocities can be adjusted, which can |
| (individual types will be gone over in-depth in their own | | | | be very useful in some situations. As a means of being |
| article). The first is spring. Spring guns cannot be | | | | fed ammunition, magazines are used most of the time. |
| automatic nor semi-automatic, as you need to cock | | | | For some magazines (hi-cap magazines), it is |
| (achieved by pulling back the slide on pistols, or pulling | | | | necessary to cycle a mechanism on the bottom of the |
| the grip on a shotgun) the gun for each shot. As the | | | | clip in order to help feed the airsoft gun with pellets. |
| name says, springs are used to propel the plastic pellet | | | | However, with the other types of magazines, it is not |
| out through the muzzle. To recap, first the user must | | | | necessary to do this. |
| cock the gun, activating the spring, and then pull the | | | | |