Air soft guns

[Pixiedust34]

Please educate me! Safety issues? How much ammunition is needed for a long party? Anything else? TIA

 

[holycow]

Well, my son had to have one and told me it wouldn't hurt anything. When it shot it past my head and it put a hole through the window blind I told him outside!

He's 24 now and that was when he was a teen so I don't know if anything has changed or not.

 

[Colleen27]

They're obnoxious but generally not harmful if used outdoors (indoors they will wreck blinds/shades, lampshades, and other thinner home decor items; I've never seen one break glass/ceramic but I suspect it is possible for something thin or old). Make sure the kids are using safety goggles and they'll be fine.

I can't offer input into how much ammo is needed because one of the conditions of my son getting his was that he pay for that himself, and he's held up his end of the bargain well. He's never even asked me to buy more. All the boys around here play out in the woods, and there's never been an injury, broken window, or other problem (well, except for the occasional tick ).

 

[Handbag Lady]

Would these be the optimal choice for a Mockingbird that has decided to move in near our bedroom? It has been going on for over three months now and we've tried everything.

I don't want to hurt the bird, I just want to annoy it enough to make it go away.

 

[dallastxcpa]

Make sure you buy the bio-degradable pellets unless you like tiny plastic beads all over your yard.

 

[LisaR]

Well, my son had to have one and told me it wouldn't hurt anything. When it shot it past my head and it put a hole through the window blind I told him outside!

He's 24 now and that was when he was a teen so I don't know if anything has changed or not.

I can't imagine an air soft gun pellet going through a window especially since I assume it wasn't at close range (it went past your head first). My son has some pretty high powered air soft guns and they would never go through our windows. Maybe the glass was really thin? My son has fired an automatic point blank into our screened porch and it doesn't puncture the screen.

None the less, this is definitely an outdoor sport meant to be played in wooded areas. Goggles are mandatory.

As far as ammo, my son is also responsible for buying his own ammo so I really don't pay attention to how much he uses.

Would these be the optimal choice for a Mockingbird that has decided to move in near our bedroom? It has been going on for over three months now and we've tried everything.

I don't want to hurt the bird, I just want to annoy it enough to make it go away.

Um.....no.

 

[Handbag Lady]

I can't imagine an air soft gun pellet going through a window especially since I assume it wasn't at close range (it went past your head first). My son has some pretty high powered air soft guns and they would never go through our windows. Maybe the glass was really thin? My son has fired an automatic point blank into our screened porch and it doesn't puncture the screen.

None the less, this is definitely an outdoor sport meant to be played in wooded areas. Goggles are mandatory.

As far as ammo, my son is also responsible for buying his own ammo so I really don't pay attention to how much he uses.



Um.....no.

Um no what? I don't know jack about these guns. If your kids are playing with them...what is the deal?

 

[LisaR]

Um no what? I don't know jack about these guns. If your kids are playing with them...what is the deal?

Google what size welt one can get from an air soft pellet and then decide if it would be a good idea to shoot a 1 pound bird with it.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Google what size welt one can get from an air soft pellet and then decide if it would be a good idea to shoot a 1 pound bird with it.

See, I thought if you let your kids play with them, they were harmless and/or wouldn't hurt.

On second thought, maybe I do want to use one of these on that loud and obnoxious bird...hhmmmm.....

 

[LisaR]

See, I thought if you let your kids play with them, they were harmless and/or wouldn't hurt.

On second thought, maybe I do want to use one of these on that loud and obnoxious bird...hhmmmm.....

My son doesn't go around the neighborhood and shoot random people or animals. He plays with friends in the woods and wears protection. They are all on the same page and know what the game is unlike the bird you plan to shoot.

Where did I say the guns were harmless??? I'm pretty certain that most people know that guns can be dangerous hence the reason one shouldn't play with them indoors, use them without the proper protection, or shoot animals with them.

 

[indimom]

Goggles (not just glasses or safety glasses) are a necessity. I wouldn't even consider it without them. There are full face masks available for about $20 which are even better.

If it's not too hot, our kids wear long sleeves and pants because the pellets will leave a nasty welt if they are using the rifles or shoot too close. We had one hit that just barely broke the skin when a rifle was fired too close. It taught them a lesson real quick about how powerful these toys really are.

The pellets can go pretty quickly. We had three boys playing off and on for the last three days. Our nephew is visiting and they have been going out a couple times each day, for very short periods of time because it was too hot to stay out long with all the gear on. Between the three of them, they have gone through about four of the 5,000 pellet canisters in that time.

Hope that helps!

 

[Pixiedust34]

Thank you for the info!

 

[Jedana]

Make sure you buy the bio-degradable pellets unless you like tiny plastic beads all over your yard.

QFT

Goggles, long pants/shirts, and a hat are a necessity. My husband was out playing, and had a bullet skitter across his skull--left a furrow over the top of his head.

When buying the guns, make sure you know what you're looking at. There are ones that are battery operated and some that are a gas (little cartridges). Make sure you aren't getting the ones that have a high power fire rate--those suckers are not for kids. A 400 FPS (feet per second) gun can shatter teeth.

My husband used to play in groups, that would go out in the wilderness (in the desert in Vegas, and in the swamps/woods here in FL)--these guys took this stuff seriously! Camo outfits, face masks, camelbaks, vest to carry ammo/first aid kits, etc. DH must have spent close to $5k on this stuff. There were guys there in the military, law enforcement, etc; they would sometimes it was a capture the flag game, other times they had to shoot out the other team. Have to be over 18 to play in these groups.

At one of those games, a guy took his eyegear off, and another guy, standing too close, did not have his gun held safely--and he shot the first guy in the eye. He almost lost it, doesn't have great vision in that eye anymore.

My son does not get to play airsoft; maybe when he's 15 or so. He does have a BB gun that he can use in the backyard under my supervision. He also has a .22 rifle that he uses at the range and he has shot my husband's revolvers, my 9mil, and the shotgun (once).

 

[Ceila]

What I don't really understand is how you "play" with them. I get that you could shoot at a paper target or something, but what is the point of shooting each other? I understand paintball, where you can see if you've hit the other person, but with the airsoft pellets it's not the same.

 

[Kies99]

You also may want to check local ordinances in regards to airsoft. My town has a ban in place if they shoot over a certain FPS (feet per second). It is set so low that generally you can only use the spring operated guns and not the battery or gas powered.

 

[136368]

They may be safe, but as with any projectile weapon, rules are important. Eye protection MUST be worn at all times. Granted, airsoft guns typically do naff all damage, but your eyes are delicate things.

Over here in the UK the power of airsfot guns used in games is 1J. I don't know about in America. Plus, over here, to buy an airsoft gun, you need to be a regular attendee at games and in turn a member of the UKASA. If you're not, you can still buy guns, but they're funky colours and can't be mistaken for a real firearm.

Airsofting itself is great fun, far more than paintballing. Granted, there is an element of trust and honesty involved, but the feel of the game is one of marked realism, mixed with safety.

It is easy to become addicted and to assemble an armoury of airsoft guns, but this can be expensive.

In terms of BBs needed per skirmish, I always use up roughly 600 rounds a game, roughly two high capacity magazines. BBs are dead cheap, so that's not a problem. You buy them in packs of several thousand.

The only other issue is battery life. Mini batteries can pooter out so a spare is always useful. Larger batteries may last a full day of skirmishing.

 

[holycow]

Hi LisaR
You may want to read my post and your copy and paste again. I said Window BLIND not the window.

It shot right through the plastic blind.

He assured me it wouldn't hurt anything. I knew nothing about them at the time when he bought it. This was 10 years ago so I don't know if they have changed much or not.

Ah, the good ol' days! not! I'm so glad he's married now! LOL

 

[Colleen27]

See, I thought if you let your kids play with them, they were harmless and/or wouldn't hurt.

On second thought, maybe I do want to use one of these on that loud and obnoxious bird...hhmmmm.....

Harmless as in no permanent or serious damage, as long as eye protection is worn. They still sting, not as bad as paintball (for the lower-powered spring-loaded type DS and his friends use) but enough to leave a welt at close or mid range even through light clothing. I wouldn't shoot one at a small animal for fear of doing real damage.

 

[LisaR]

Hi LisaR
You may want to read my post and your copy and paste again. I said Window BLIND not the window.

It shot right through the plastic blind.

He assured me it wouldn't hurt anything. I knew nothing about them at the time when he bought it. This was 10 years ago so I don't know if they have changed much or not.

Ah, the good ol' days! not! I'm so glad he's married now! LOL

OMG! How did I miss that? I'm so sorry! I wondered how the heck one of those pellets could go through glass. Sorry.

 

[136368]

As a professional marksman, the first thing I would focus on is SAFETY. Make sure you are covered up if you are playing with these things and CERTAINLY wear eye protection. If you're worried, full face masks are a good idea. Try to limit the power of the rifles. As I said previously, 1J is the maximum power over here in the UK for skirmishes. Likewise, weapons cannot be left unsafe when not in the field being played with. Don't take these things lightly, even though they are only BB guns. Follow these simple rules and you can have good fun with airsoft.