What is the difference between an airsoft pistol and a pneumatic pistol?

Differences between pneumatics and airsoft weapons

The main differences between airsoft weapons and pneumatics are as follows:

1. Ammunition material. Airsoft balls are made of plastic, while pneumatic balls are made of metal.
2. Caliber. Airsoft guns use 6 mm caliber balls, and pneumatic guns use 4.5 mm balls.
3. Material for making weapons. Airsoft guns are typically made from a plastic composite, while airsoft guns are most often made from metal or an alloy.
4. Firing range. For pneumatics it is higher, unlike airsoft weapons.
5. Destructive force. When hit by a ball from an airsoft weapon at close range, the body may only be left with a bruise. Injuries from air guns are much more serious - they can pierce the skin.
6. Appearance. The goal of an airsoft game is to recreate a realistic image of a military battle. That is, the weapon imitates real analogues.
7. Pneumatic weapons have a different task - efficiency and accuracy of shooting. This affects the appearance to a certain extent.

The advantages of playing airsoft compared to using conventional pneumatics:

1. Long firing range, unlike pneumatic weapons - up to 60 meters. Airsoft guns can certainly shoot further, but most likely, at a great distance, the opponent will not be able to feel the impact of the bullet.
2. Magnificent surroundings: realistically made weapons, real military uniforms and other ammunition will help you feel like a special forces soldier who is storming a building captured by terrorists, or a saboteur who is sneaking up in a camouflage robe to a strategic enemy target.
3. Low financial costs for ammunition. Unlike paintball ammunition, the price of airsoft bullets is simply meager, while it is slightly more expensive than cartridges for conventional pneumatics. Airsoft weapons themselves are sometimes comparable in price to pneumatic ones: first, you can buy inexpensive Chinese products.
4. Low risk of injury. Unlike hardball, the only protective equipment required is special glasses.

How painful is it for a player to get hit by a ball?

Many who want to play airsoft are afraid that it is too painful. They think that a plastic ball will fly at high speed into any part of the body, which will cause severe pain. This is not entirely true. You need to understand that airsoft balls can really cause discomfort if they get a direct hit. The maximum injuries that can be sustained during the game are minor abrasions, scratches and bruises after being hit by a plastic ball.

In airsoft, the first and most important point is compliance with safety rules. This has a lot to do with the amount of pain a player can experience. If the safety precautions are fully followed by the players, there will be no serious injuries from being hit by the ball.

Following safety rules, wearing protective equipment - all this will help you not feel severe discomfort during the game. Remember, if you feel slight pain after the ball hits your body, this is normal. This means you were killed and you should return to base to start the game.

Principle of operation

Airsoft weapons and pneumatic products are distinguished by the method of applying pressure. There are three types: spring-piston mechanisms, gas systems and with pre-injection.

In products with one-time injection (compression), the air under pressure is in a storage tank, which is installed in the weapon. The injection lever is activated manually. It moves a piston that compresses the air in the container. During firing, the release valve opens, which separates the barrel and the storage tank. The air supply is only enough for one shot.

A weapon with reusable injection (multi-compression) is similar in principle to a system with a single injection. The main difference is that charging the storage tank will require several movements of the lever. This way you can vary the initial speed of the bullet and perform a number of shots in one load.

Pre-charged (PCP) designs are similar to the systems described above. The main difference is that the injection system is not located in the design of the weapon. In addition, the high-pressure container can be removable or can be an integral part of the weapon. The reservoir is filled with gas from a cylinder or pump.

Gas weapons (CO2) are close in design to designs with a removable container and pre-injection. In the cans, part of the carbon dioxide is in the form of a liquid, and part of it is in the form of a gas. During firing, a portion of gas comes out, and the pressure of the gaseous component decreases, but immediately part of the liquid carbon dioxide turns into a gaseous state, thus maintaining a constant pressure.

In models with cartridge injection, a special metal cartridge acts as a storage tank for air under pressure. In size it resembles the cartridge of a real weapon. It is made of several parts: a screw-off cap into which a regular bullet is inserted and a sleeve, which is directly a storage container.

Spring-piston designs are the cheapest and simplest. There is no pressurized air storage tank or pneumatic valves. The cylinder is connected to the barrel channel. As the cocking lever moves, the piston moves in the cylinder and compresses the spring. During firing, the piston moves and, under the influence of a spring, compresses the air gap that is located between the cartridge and the piston. During the shot, the piston, under the influence of a spring, moves inside the cylinder and pushes out the bullet.

In spring-piston mechanisms, the moment at which the bullet begins to move along the barrel is almost unpredictable and is often not optimal in terms of achieving stable pressure, since it depends on many different factors. That is, to obtain the best results in terms of power and accuracy, you need to experimentally select the type of bullet and its mass for a certain model of spring-piston pneumatics.

Purpose

The main purpose of pneumatic weapons is sports and training shooting. Pneumatics are not expensive, relatively safe, with a fairly low cost per shot, do not require much space for shooting, the recoil is practically not felt - the best weapon for gaining initial shooting skills. And when properly manufactured, it helps train the shooter to use a real weapon. For example, the MP654K air pistol is not only in appearance a complete copy of the combat Makarov - before firing a shot, you must perform the same manipulations. Moreover, the real pistol and the pneumatic replica have the same procedure for partial disassembly and pressing the trigger.

Pneumatic weapons for sports training shooting, like all other target models, must satisfy high accuracy requirements and comply with the restrictions imposed by the competition rules. In addition to high quality workmanship, weapons for sport shooting are characterized by adjustable trigger mechanisms, a pistol grip or butt of increased ergonomics, installation of balancing weights, and sighting devices. For balancing, certain models are equipped with choke tubes that resemble compensators or sound moderators. But sometimes pneumatic models also have real muzzle compensators.

Airsoft is a popular team game that uses pneumatic weapons (the force of the shot should not be more than 3 Joules) and plastic balls with a diameter of 6 mm, which differ in their mass.

There are several types of this weapon. Different types of drives also imply a specific operating mechanism. The most popular types of airsoft weapons:

1. Spring models. They are the most accessible and inexpensive, but they are not the most popular type of airsoft guns for airsoft. Cocking the piston in a spring weapon is done manually. But the very low rate of fire negates the advantages of being cheap. Therefore, most often, experienced airsoft players can only see sniper rifles and shotguns with this type of cocking. For rifles, a fast rate of fire is not very important, and the slow rate of fire of shotguns can be compensated by the fact that the weapon fires several rounds at the same time, increasing the chances of a hit. Another advantage of spring weapons is their operability at any temperature. But the firing range of these weapons, unfortunately, is often the same as the rate of fire - it is quite difficult to hit an opponent who is at a great distance with this weapon.
2. Gas models. Gas weapons are considered more popular for airsoft. The operating principle is based on the action of gas, which is under pressure. As a rule, carbon dioxide is used, but in some cases propane mixtures are also used. Certain models of weapons have recoil (bolubek system) - during a shot, the bolt frame moves back. The main disadvantage of gas weapons is their inability to operate at low temperatures, but their high rate of fire and targeted firing range made these models much more popular, unlike spring products.
3. Electropneumatic models. This type of weapon is considered the most popular in airsoft. The principle of operation resembles a spring-piston system, but the spring is not charged manually, but using an electric motor, which is powered by a battery. Its excellent rate of fire (more than 500 rounds per minute, and certain types of weapons even more than 2000) and excellent sighting range made it a favorite among other types of drives. But electro-pneumatic weapons are also sensitive to low temperatures, although not as much as gas models. But still, in the cold, the battery discharges quickly and can fail at the right time.

If you have insufficient shooting experience, it is advisable to start with the cheapest spring-piston weapon, and only then move on to a more serious one.

Characteristics

Weapons permit

The rules for the acquisition, storage, use and transportation of pneumatic weapons are defined in Federal Law No. 150 “Law on Weapons”. Taking into account this legislation, as well as the unspoken concepts of the airsoft society, it is possible to answer the question, is a permit required for pneumatics?

According to the law, air guns differ in power as follows:

• up to 3 J – not considered a weapon;
• 3-7.5 J – weapons for sports training shooting and entertainment;
• more than 7.5 J – a weapon for hunting.

Airsoft weapons belong to the first group and are not considered structurally similar to pneumatic weapons. Airsoft revolvers, shotguns, pistols, rifles with a power of 0.5-3 Joules, regardless of caliber, do not require a permit. In other words, the circulation and use of airsoft weapons is not regulated by law.

But there is one caveat - pneumatic weapons are very similar in appearance to their military counterparts. Accordingly, from afar it is difficult to distinguish it from the present. From this follow unspoken rules of behavior, if followed, you can protect yourself from problems with the law and society.

Airsoft weapon power

Many professional airsoft players, when selecting balls, rely on the force with which the ball flies after pressing the trigger. Generally, the base speeds of traditional weapons are as follows:

• 60-90 m/s – for pistols and machine guns;
• 90-100 m/s – assault weapons, rifles;
• 120-150 m/s – assault rifles that have undergone tuning and all sorts of improvements;
• 150-200 m/s – sniper rifles that have undergone tuning.

Thus, the basic rule for choosing a ball is to select the type and weight of the ball for a specific airsoft weapon. Choosing the “incorrect” ball can reduce the effectiveness of the shot, reduce the speed and simply not reach the target.

Price

Features of pneumatic weapons and airsoft games, cost of components:

1. Airsoft weapons cost around 5-17 thousand rubles, pneumatic weapons from 3 thousand rubles.
2. Means of protection. To play airsoft you will need safety glasses and a bulletproof vest, which cost 1,000 and 3,000 rubles respectively.
3. Ammunition. A pack of 5,000 airsoft balls costs from 600 rubles. The price of bullets for air guns starts from 150 rubles, taking into account the specific model, quantity in the package and the manufacturing company.

Both airsoft weapons and pneumatics have their own specific advantages and disadvantages, as well as characteristic features. Only after carefully studying them and comparing them with each other can you make a choice in favor of a specific model, the parameters of which are required for a specific use.

Which machine to choose?

Despite the above statistics, we will consider all options.

Ask yourself questions: “Which gun should I use in the game?” Decide on your role and, based on it, choose an airsoft drive.

If you want to always be in the center of events, fight short or at medium distances, perform the tasks of an attack aircraft, sapper or support fighter, then classic machine guns or assault rifles are suitable for you.

For CQB combat in buildings and at close ranges, compact carbines and submachine guns are excellent.

A machine gunner supporting his unit in attack and defense must have a powerful and reliable machine gun with a solid supply of balls - ammunition.

The role of a sniper is one of the most challenging and interesting in airsoft. In addition to personal qualities, a sniper must use an effective tool - a well-tuned sniper rifle that hits without missing a beat.

The choice of the first barrel depends, first of all, on aesthetic preferences - on the influence of films, computer games, memories of military service. What is closer to you? Domestic or foreign samples? The choice is very wide, so think carefully:

• domestic Kalashnikov AK assault rifle;
• American M16 assault rifle and M4 carbine;
• German G36 rifle and MP5 submachine gun;
• RPK, PKM and FN M249 machine guns;
• sniper rifles SVD, SR-25, M700 and M24;
• special assault rifles AS VAL, VSS Vintorez, SR-3M;
• pistols Colt, Beretta, Glock, PM, APS, PYa Grach.

For example, look at two express reviews of the airsoft AK and M4 to get a more detailed impression:

If you cannot decide on a choice, we recommend choosing the AK series model, since they are more common. Therefore, Kalash is easier to resell and it is easier to find a future team with them.