Airsoft Elite - Airsoft Electric Guns, AirsoftGuns, Gas Blowback Pistol, BB Pellets, Metal Body, Gearbox and Combat Gear

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Airsoft Information
	What is Airsoft?
	Airsoft Terminology
	Airsoft BB Pellets
	Upgrade Guide

Airsoft Terminology

	AEG - AEG stands for Automatic Electric Gun. The electric powered mechanisms usually incorporate a battery powered motor, gear box (with assortment of gears), and circuit board which controls the the air piston assembly and mech box. These can be very complex. Are considered the highest end rifles and most powerful airsoft rifles.

	BB - An abbreviation for Ball Bearing. Airsoft BBs are small (almost always) plastic spheres. The vast majority of BBs are the standard 6mm, but Marushin (and a few others) are now adopting the 8mm for 'magnum' style power. The 6mms, typically, vary in weight from .2g (although cheap BBs are often .12g) up to .43g (for specialist sniper rifle usage) - Pistol BBs are usually in the .2g to .25g range. 8mm BBs are available in .34g and .45g weights. Heavy BBs tend to fly straighter, but carry less distance.

	Springer/Spring Gun - The spring gun is the cheapest form of airsoft pistol. In this case a spring is compressed when the slide is racked (or the hammer cocked in the case of my S&W Revolver) and the spring is released when the trigger is pulled, driving a piston which creates air pressure and releases the BB.

	Gas Guns (NBB and GBB) - Gas Guns (both Gas Blowback and Non Blowback/Fixed slide) require gas, usually stored in the magazine these days (once, external tanks were common and required), which is released into the chamber, where it rapidly expands and causes pressure which fires the BB.

	Blowback - A mechanism by which the slide (on automatics) is cycled to recock the pistol and chamber the next round. This replicates the action caused by the gases produced by firing a round on real gun, but has to be reproduced in different ways on an airsoft pistol.

	EBB (Electric Blowback) - The latest, but, so far, not highly regarded method. This uses a similar mechanism to the common Automatic Electric Guns (AEGs) which dominate the SMG/Rifle part of the airsoft market. However, as it fits into a pistol, it can only use small AAA size batteries, which drive a small electric motor which moves the slide back and forth as the weapon is fired. The power is limited, battery life limited and range poor. However, these guns are becoming more common and seem likely to take away some of the springer market.

	NBB (Non-Blowback) - Earlier gas guns had no Blowback mechanism and many still exist (and are being designed) in this format. They have advantages of GBB pistols, in that they have less moving parts (so are more reliable and cheaper to produce and buy), gas is not wasted in moving the slide (so they're more powerful) and the lack of a moving slide improves stability (so they are more accurate). However, they lack the 'fun' element of GBBs and are, generally, viewed as lesser weapons, perhaps unfairly.

	GBB (Gas Blowback) - The most recent gas pistols (Marushin and Digicon excepted) generally have blowback, which is achieved by diverting some of the gas to move the slide back as the BB is fired. This, obviously, uses more gas than a NBB, but gives a more realistic firing experience. On the negative side, GBBs are more complex, more expensive and more prone to failure than NBBs and, like for like, less powerful and/or have a higher gas consumption than.

	Semi Automatic - Semi automatic firearms fire one shot each time you pull the trigger. The action of pulling the trigger fires the bullet (or BB in airsoft case) and readies the weapon to fire the next shot.

	Fully Automatic/Full Auto - Full auto firearms continue to fire as long as you keep the trigger pulled - This is usually the realm of machineguns and assault rifles, but a few handguns (notably the Glock 18 and Beretta M93R) offer this facility.

	Single Action - In the case of Single action firearms, the trigger ONLY fires the gun. It does not ready the gun for the next shot and they need cocking before they fire again. The most familiar example of this is the old style cowboy six-shooters, where the shooter 'fans' the hammer to cock it ready to fire the next bullet. Most pistols can be fired single action OR double action.

	Double Action - In this case, pulling the trigger will cock the weapon AND fire it. This often makes the trigger pull heavy and this is most notable in the case of NBBs, where the BB is chambered, the gun cocked and fired by the double action trigger. In the case of a GBB, the slide will have chambered the round and cocked the gun on the last cycle.

	Hop-Up - This is a simple system fitted to the inner barrel of most Airsoft guns, A small rubber indentation on the top of the rear of the barrel gives the BB backspin making the BB fly further and straighter, although slightly slower. Most of the more expensive guns come with adjustable Hop allowing you to adjust the flight of the shots.

	Magazine or Clip - This is the component of the gun where the ammo or ammunition (BBs) are stored and fed into the gun. Usually, extra magazines can be purchased separately and are very useful during game play. Standard capacity airsoft magazines are 10 to 50 round capacity. Where as high capacity airsoft magazines are 250 to 400 rounds per magazine.

	Gas - Most airsoft pistols are safest on HFC134a, but some allow more powerful HFC22 (Green Gas) or even Red Gas to be used. However, use of more powerful gasses will result in increased wear and even catastrophic failure - ABS guns can blow themselves to pieces under the pressure. American Eagle gas comes in two forms (Summer and Winter). The Summer gas is reckoned to be a little less powerful than regular HFC134a, whilst Winter is somewhere between 134a and Green Gas.

	Green Gas - Standard gas that most people use for gas airsoft guns. Green gas is in a liquid form when stored under some type of pressure, such as inside the can or inside the gas chamber of an airsoft magazine. However, once its released in the atmosphere, it turns into gas.

	134A Gas - Another form of propellant for gas airsoft guns. Although very similar in purpose, this version is slightly less powerful than Green Gas. Therefore is not as popular as Green Gas with airsoft players.

	FPS - FPS stands for Feet Per Second. It is the velocity, a measurement of speed, which the gun can fire a BB. The higher the FPS the faster the airsoft gun or rifle shoots. This can be affected by the types of BB's used.

	Battery - For AEG's or Electric Airsoft Rifles, airsoft batteries are the driving force which move the gears in the gear box which moves the piston and the spring to shoot the BB out of the gun. There are mainly two types of batteries used for AEG electric airsoft rifles:

	Steel Spring Guide Rod - Bearing Spring Guide for quicker and more efficient spring compression as well as guaranteed performance under combat stress

	Gears - Increases rate of fire, durability under stress, and decreases noise level. Different airsoft upgrade gears will provide various results. For example the Systema Helical Gear Set will increase durability due to its helical gears instead of flat gears. The Systema Helical Torque Up Gear Set will allow for more torque to pull a higher tension spring while still allowing for durability. Of course this will decrease ROF (Rate of Fire).

	Piston Head & Piston - The piston head attaches to the front of the piston in the airsoft gear box. The piston head can improve performance by allowing better air flow and compression while allowing for more efficient decompression of the airsoft cylinder chamber. The piston sits between the piston head and the spring. It engages the gears in the mech box which drives the piston and piston head back compressing the spring.

	Cylinder - It allows better air flow and compression. Port allows for efficient and complete decompression of chamber prior to next cycle

	Bushings - A removable cylindrical lining for the gears in the mech box (as of a mechanical part) used to limit and resist abrasion and friction between gear and airsoft gear box.

	Motor - The main unit in an AEG or electric airsoft gun which moves the piston back. This exists in the highest end models as well as the lowest entry level mini electric models. It is responsible for turning the gears, which in turns drives the piston, which in turn is pushed forward by the spring.