Airsoft is a sport that has a huge number of `fans all over the world. Adults and teenagers alike are obsessed with this outdoor sports and spend lots on getting the right airsoft gear i.e. airsoft guns, guns accessories, and airsoft attire.

When I was little I used to see my big brother play with guns in our backyard. He had these big airsoft guns which I absolutely loved and whenever he went to pick them up he would ward me off by saying either of the two things. The first one being “Rachel you are too young for this” and the second one being “Rachel you are a girl and girls have no business with guns”. No matter how much I loved him, I used to hate him for saying these two sentences to me and I would cry whenever he used to ward me off like this. On my 12th birthday, I asked my parents to buy me an airsoft rifle just like my big brother John. As I was still young so they suggested that I buy an airsoft gun first and then move on to the rifle.

I immediately agreed because only the thought of having my own airsoft gun excited me immensely. I searched for different airsoft guns on the internet and all of them were so awesome that I wanted to buy them all. However, as I had to select only one so I short-listed a few and delved deeper into their features. When I still couldn’t decide, I asked my brother to help me select one. I still remember the advice he gave me in which he said that I should go for a gun which is reliable, has a decent FPS which is the projectile velocity of a gun and is accurate as well.

The construction material and the FPS easily gave me the answers as they are mentioned in the specifications of the guns but when it came to accuracy, I got confused. Let me share my knowledge on this topic which helped me select my first airsoft gun and it came out to be super-awesome and just like I imagined it to be!

Accuracy of Airsoft Guns

First of all, you should understand that the accuracy of airsoft guns can never be like that of a real gun. People mostly compare airsoft guns with real guns and this comparison is what misleads them in understanding the accuracy of airsoft guns. Airsoft guns are the replicas of real guns and have their own accuracy range. The most expensive and best airsoft gun will not be able to shoot a target at a distance of even fifty yards accurately. Why is that so? It is because of the mechanism of the airsoft gun itself and because of the nature of the BB pellet guns used in these guns as well.

The BBs or projectiles which are used in airsoft guns are made up of plastic and they are light in weight as well. They are small and round in shape and this is why the environmental factors i.e. wind and air affect their projectile considerably. This is not the case in real firearms which is why they are far more accurate. When it comes to the accuracy of airsoft guns, different guns feature different accuracies. For example, a gun with a longer barrel will be more accurate as it will provide more stability to the BB when it will exit the barrel.

The accuracy of an airsoft gun depends on the following three features:

1- Hop-Up Function

Do you know what an hop-up function is? A bucking is present inside the barrel of guns featuring hop up function. The bucking provides a backspin to the BB when it passes through the barrel and hits the bucking via Magnus effect. This backspin increases the range of the projectile and thus by adjusting the hop up of your airsoft gun, you can increase the range and accuracy of it. Sounds cool. Right?

Therefore, if you are very concerned about the accuracy of your gun, then buy the one having a good hop up. Different types of top airsoft guns feature different types of hop ups and the range of each one of them is different too, therefore, choose carefully and practice it too as most hop ups do not adjust where you want them to be and this affects accuracy of the gun. Hop up chambers can also be replaced so if you are not satisfied with the one your gun has, you can always replace it.

2- The Bucking

As we discussed above, that bucking is present inside the barrel and its primary function is to provide backspin to the BB rolling through the barrel on its way to exiting it. A good bucking facilitates a good hop up function and increases the consistency of your gun. It is usually believed that softer buckings result in a good hop up function, however, they wear out faster than the harder buckings. Harder buckings are usually used for airsoft guns which feature high FPS, generally ranging between 350-400.

3- Barrel of the Gun

The barrel of an airsoft gun is a very important factor which determines its accuracy. The projectile has to pass through the barrel before exiting into the air. Are you wondering what role does a barrel of an airsoft gun actually play in its accuracy? The length of the barrel affects the accuracy of the gun and a longer barrel provides more stability and consistency to a BB than a shorter barrel. The two characteristics of a barrel are responsible for determining the accuracy of an airsoft gun.

The Diameter of the Bore

The diameter of the bore keeps a check on the bounce of the projectile. Whenever the trigger is pulled and the BB is passed into the barrel, the BB bounces inside there due to the pressure exerted on it. Bores which are tighter limit the bounce rate of the projectile and keep it stable.

  • Quality

Quality always matters and affects the performance of the product. The quality of the construction material of the barrel of a gun affects the gun’s accuracy. Using good material and optimizing the manufacturing process of the gun will definitely result in higher efficiency and accuracy of the airsoft gun. A heavy and thick barrel is also said to be more efficient than light and thin one.

Best Practices of Using Airsoft Guns

1- If you are using airsoft guns in an airsoft field, then always use guns according to the field setup. For example, if your airsoft field is a desert in which there is very less cover and mostly you have duck for cover. So, in that case, your airsoft guns will be put to harsh use and you should make use of heavy airsoft guns made up of good-quality construction material to prevent them from wearing out or broken down too soon.

2- Don’t forget to maintain and clean your airsoft gun from time to time. Most of the airsoft guns are easily breakable and easily wear out as well. Therefore, these guns must be taken care of properly and their maintenance should be done. People mostly think that airsoft guns do not require maintenance and cleaning, but this is a wrong concept. However, airsofters be glad to know that these guns do not require extensive cleaning like pellet guns and paintball guns do.

3- Always apply some sort of lube on your airsoft gun before using it e.g. you can spray the inside of the guns i.e. the barrel and it will work absolutely fine.

4- While playing with your airsoft guns, it is considered a good practice to wear safety goggles as they protect the eyes which are a sensitive part of our face and an harmful BB if strikes there can cause harm.

5- Avoid using grenades in battlefields, that is airsoft battlefield of course. The reason behind this is that grenades hard to load and they are very heavy ass well which makes it very difficult to carry them around and even to use them. Even when they go off, they don’t produce effective results. For example, while playing airsoft I have seen people using grenades and even when they fall right on your feet, you wouldn’t be hit with even a single one BB coming out of it. That’s how effective they are or I should say “ineffective”.

6- Always wear proper attire while using airsoft guns especially when you are playing airsoft with it. Airsoft attire includes safety goggles, safety gloves, helmets, shoulder and chest body cover, etc. Such attire keeps you safe from harm i.e. injuries. Even though airsoft guns make use of BBs which are made up of plastic, still they can be harmful and inflict injuries if hit on sensitive parts of body i.e. eyes, mouth, etc.