How do airsoft guns operate?
An airsoft gun can operate off one of any three principles. The most common and cost effective are our line of spring guns. Spring guns must be cocked before each shot, usually by racking the slide or cocking handle (rifles). Cocking the gun compresses a spring attached to a piston, when the trigger is pulled, the piston flies forward, compresses the air in the cylinder and fires the BB at an average velocity of 225 FPS. Most people start off with spring guns and often move up to gas blowback guns. Gas blowback pistols use HFC22 or Green Gas. Green gas is loaded into the bottom of the magazine (shown left) along with the ammunition. This design allows for rapid magazine changes to replace both expended rounds and propellant. GBB guns operate in a manner very similar to real firearms. After inserting the magazine you cock the gun to chamber the first round. Upon pulling the trigger, gas is released to propel the BB out of the barrel at an average of 275 FPS. A small amount of gas is also captured to force the slide back, resetting the hammer and chambering the next round. This is a very efficient system allowing you to fire the gun as fast as you can pull the trigger. Our fully automatic assault weapons use a battery and gearbox system to fire. An 8.4v battery is housed in the front grip or stock, this battery powers a gearbox which in turn compresses and releases a piston to create air pressure. Electric guns are fully automatic and can push out over 800 rounds in under 60 seconds with a muzzle velocity of 300 FPS. Electric guns can be upgraded with aftermarket parts to achieve cyclic rates of over 1000 rounds per minute and muzzle velocities of over 500 FPS.