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6mm plastic
airsoft pellets
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Airsoft pellets
(often referred to as "BB's",
short for "ball bearing"
or "big ball" in reference
to smaller shotgun shot) are
typically made of plastic and are
almost always 6mm spheres. Pellets
of a given size come in different
weights ranging from 0.12 to 0.43 g.
In addition to standard plastic
pellets, starch-based biodegradable,
metal coated, graphite coated (often
used by snipers), and steel pellets
are also available. Pellets other
than 6 mm, 0.12 g, 0.20 g, or 0.25 g
plastic or biodegradable pellets are
not commonly used outside of Japan.
Glow-in-the-dark
tracer pellets are also used in
conjunction with a special device
that charges the pellets up by
flashing it with a quick burst of UV
light prior to firing so that they
remain luminescent in flight for use
during nocturnal operations/games.
There have
also been guns made that shoot
aspherical pellets. The best known
of these is the Asahi "Blade
Bullet", which are now
extremely difficult to find and
quite expensive to buy. These were
designed to be shot from the
short-lived Asahi M700 and M40
premium grade rifles, which were
produced in 1993. Compatibility with
other airsoft guns is highly
limited, especially due to their
inability to be used with hop-up
features.
Paint pellets
are available but are incompatable
with guns with hop-up features as
the hop-up will break the pellet in
the gun. Paint is very unpopular
with airsofters because it tends to
stain gear and clothes.
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Pellet
weights and their usage
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NOTE: All BB
weights are in grams (g)
- 0.12 g -
Used by some gas and spring
weapons. High velocity and low
stability.
- 0.15 g -
Same uses as 0.12 g. Uncommon.
- 0.20 g -
Standard weight for most
weapons. AEG's uses these or
slightly heavier pellets.
- 0.22 g -
Western Arms pellets for their
gas blowback pistol series.
Uncommon.
- 0.23 g -
Heavier pellets for AEG's.
Blends speed of 0.20g with range
and accuracy of 0.25g.
- 0.25 g -
Heaviest weight for standard
AEG's, blowback and spring guns.
- 0.29 g -
Maruzen’s pellets for their
APS series. Uncommon.
- 0.30 g -
Standard weight for most sniper
rifles.
- 0.36 g -
Heavier pellets for sniper
rifles. Very slow but high
stability.
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0.43 g -
For the highest level of
upgrades in spring and gas
sniper rifles. Graphite coated.
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Pellet
velocity, energy and weight
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The pellet
velocity of automatic electric guns
is determined in large part by the
tension of their main spring and so
there tends to be a stratification
of values. The most common airsoft
velocity limits are between 300 to
400 ft/s (90 to 120 m/s) for AEGs
and 400 to 500 ft/s (120 to 150 m/s)
for single shot guns (sniper
rifles). Here are some common levels
of airsoft gun pellet velocity.
Unit
equivalents
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| Pellet velocity |
76 |
84 |
85 |
91 |
100 |
107 |
115 |
122 |
137 |
152 |
168 |
(m/s) |
|
250 |
275 |
280 |
300 |
328 |
350 |
377 |
400 |
450 |
500 |
550 |
(ft/s) |
| Weight |
| 0,12 g |
0,35 |
0,42 |
0,44 |
0,50 |
0,60 |
0,68 |
0,79 |
0,89 |
1,13 |
1,39 |
1,69 |
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| 0,15 g |
0,44 |
0,53 |
0,55 |
0,63 |
0,75 |
0,85 |
0,99 |
1,11 |
1,41 |
1,74 |
2,11 |
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| 0,20 g |
0,58 |
0,70 |
0,73 |
0,84 |
1,00 |
1,14 |
1,32 |
1,49 |
1,88 |
2,32 |
2,81 |
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| 0,23 g |
0,67 |
0,81 |
0,84 |
0,96 |
1,15 |
1,31 |
1,52 |
1,71 |
2,16 |
2,67 |
x |
Energy |
| 0,25 g |
0,73 |
0,88 |
0,91 |
1,05 |
1,25 |
1,42 |
1,65 |
1,86 |
2,35 |
2,90 |
x |
(joules) |
| 0,30 g |
0,87 |
1,05 |
1,09 |
1,25 |
1,50 |
1,71 |
1,98 |
2,23 |
2,82 |
x |
x |
|
| 0,36 g |
1,05 |
1,26 |
1,31 |
1,51 |
1,80 |
2,05 |
2,38 |
2,68 |
x |
x |
x |
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| 0,43 g |
1,25 |
1,51 |
1,57 |
1,80 |
2,15 |
2,45 |
2,84 |
x |
x |
x |
x |
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| 3,00 g |
8,71 |
10,54 |
10,93 |
12,54 |
14,99 |
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notes:
-
3.00 g is
the typical weight for a
paintball pellet. This weight is
for comparison purposes only and
is not used on Airsoft. Higher
energy but different collisions
read Elastic collisions (airsoft)
and Inelastic collision
(paintball) topics for further
information.
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Cross marks
indicate above 3 J energy
levels. Based on the Firearms
Act 1968, the 3 J limit is
indicated by Forensic Science
Agency for Northern Ireland as
the lower limit to inflict a
lethal(paragraph 123)/penetrating(paragraph
26) wound. On another document
also regarding firearms,
"The Eleventh Annual Report
of the Firearms Consultative
Committee", the penetration
levels lies between 2 and 3
Joules based on a research for
US Army and DiMaio's work in
"Minimal Velocities
Necessary for Perforation of
Skin by Air Pellets and Bullets,
Journal of Forensic
Sciences".
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