Sam Lin asked:




What are airsoft guns ?

Airsoft guns are realistic-looking toy guns that fire small plastic BBs to ranges of 25 to 45m at speeds of around 75 - 100 meters per second. Airsoft game is a paintball-like team game that’s originally come out of Japan.

Most airsoft weapons come with hop-up and come in three basic types:

1) Springers - manually **** the firing spring before each shot is required.

2) Gas - use compressed gas to propel BBs .

3) Electric - the most popular and the hottest automatic weapons that use a motor to push back the spring between shots with a rate of fire of up to 1000 rounds per minute . Good for both of experts and beginners , especially for beginners .

There are so many different types of guns to be used in paintball. There are electric guns and airsoft guns. But there are so many different brands of guns to choose from, how do you know which ones to choose. One style of gun is the Tokyo Marui Glock 17 3rd Generation Airsoft. This is a gas blowback air pistol. This air soft gun looks like a real pistol. It is an accurate pistol that looks very, very real. Another real looking gun is from the company CYMA, you can get these guns in Machine Markers, Assault rifles, Sub Machine Markers and even a James Bond Pistol. These are just a few of the air soft rifles.

Some of these markers are cheap gas and electric air soft guns. These guns are for those beginner players that are just starting out. The more experienced players play with markers that cost anywhere from $ 400 to $ 2000 plus. The experienced players take the game much more seriously, they are weekend players and tournament players not a once a month player. They know what it is like to get hit with a paintball or a BB and they don’t mind because their adrenaline is pumping and they can’t feel it. That is a true player.

ICS is another name brand of air soft markers. There is the ICS MP5 A4 is a AEG. This markers is made from metal and you can use one battery charge all day. The starter pack comes with the marker, the battery, the charger and a 3700 rounds of BB’s. The ICS CAR97 with LE Stock. This gun has a full metal body with a reinforced barrel. It can carry 400 round magazine, it is a great gun for the advanced player.

The UTG which stands for Under the Gun. This air soft brand is run by the company leapers. The UTG line is not for kids or beginners. These are hard core markers. The Accushot Competition Shadow has the Ultimate Bolt Action Airsoft Spring Rifle. The marker comes with a spare magazine, tactical sniper rifle sniper with an effective long range shooting. These guns are not toys they should be left for tournament players only.

These markers all run a pretty penny and while you want the best products you don’t want to spend your life’s savings on one marker unless you have to. There are so many places where you can find less expensive markers. On the site Cheap-Airsoft-Guns.net you can get a wide variety of air soft guns for a less expensive price. They have so many in stock that it may be hard to buy just one. They have great air soft pistols like the Green Gas Guns, Electric Blade Trinity Style, Electric Robocop Pistol FPS-150 Blowback Airsoft guns. They have the AEG Electric M4, The Spring Pump Riot Shotgun Remington 870 with FPS-250 Pistol Grips. They have the UTG series, the Spring Well MP5 Sub.

Choose your markets carefully, these super powerful markers are not for indoor play they should be used outside and all players should be wearing the proper equipment . Everyone would be wearing safety glasses and the proper attire. When using these markets make sure the safety is on until you are ready to shoot because these markers can go off accidentally, almost like a real gun. Make sure that when you play that these guns are regulation and are allowed to be used where you play.

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Darin Sewell asked:




Airsoft BB guns are rapidly increasing in popularity around the world. Many clubs have been formed to bring enthusiasts together to enjoy their weapons. Activities in these clubs range from simple target shooting to all out urban combat games. Having the right gun for the activities you wish to participate in will maximize your airsoft experience.

Electric vs Spring airsoft guns

Electric Air guns: Electric airsoft BB guns are by far the most popular. this is due to the fact that ,many models operate with semi automatic and fully automatic capabilities. This not only adds to the realism but also makes these guns extremely fun to shoot.

Electric guns are available in a wide variety of price and performance ranges. High end models are constructed from metal and use metal gears to deliver high velocity and rapid rates of fire. While the lower end plastic models deliver lower performance but just as much fun.

The only limit an electric air gun has is the battery life, so always have spare batteries on hand if you want a full days fun!

Spring Guns: Spring guns have a wide range of models. These guns range from cheap $4 dollar pistols to high end very powerful sniper rifles that cost hundreds of dollars. Spring guns perform better then other models in cold weather and the high end models are extremely powerful and accurate. There only drawback is that they are single shot only. These guns are the best for target shooting competitions.

Gas Powered Guns: Gas Powered Airsoft Guns use compressed carbon dioxide, Freon or Green Gas as a propellant. The propellant gas is held in a tank or reservoir on the gun. Gas guns us a “Blow back” feature to chamber the next round as realistically as an actual gun. Because they have more moving parts and use gas as a propellant, this type of airsoft gun is more expensive to operate. They are preferred by serious Airsoft Gun Collectors.

Although there is only three main categories each type of gun has its own sub category, spring guns for example have sniper rifles and electric guns have numerous options like blow back models and hybrid guns. By shopping around and comparing the various models you can find exactly what you need!

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Last range session was mainly about getting small groups out of my Vanguard. The crappy groups I've been getting had nothing to do with the great glass on it. I'm using one of the new Burris Six-X riflescopes with the ballistic reticle. Nice piece of equipment. It's in lapped Burris XTR rings on top of Burris XTB bases. All quality products.

I had some fun with other guns while the Weatherby was cooling off from my .300 Winchester Magnum shot strings.

Sometime in 1993 I got a call on a Saturday from the owner of the gun shop I managed. He said he had something I needed. I said okay, I need it. What was it and how much? Turns out, a friend of Bill Ruger wanted a barrelled action only in 220 Swift, and then he died or changed his mind or something. I doubly needed it because a barrelled action was never offered, nor was the .220 Swift cartridge at that time. So of course I bought it. I had visions of grandeur about a custom synthetic stock with double swivels and a flat bottom that would ride the bags well. Trouble was, nobody made a stock for the new heavy barrelled gun yet except the factory laminated Ruger stock that I didn't want. McMillan and Six Enterprises wanted about 600 bucks to make me one. Rats. So I kept the thing in a cloth in a safe and did nothing with it for about 10 years. I was gooping up my guns in the middle of the Gunroom floor one day and My Shirley came by. I told her the story about the barrelled action and how I wanted a cool stock for it but wouldn't pay that kind of money for one, and maybe I'd sell it. She said, "Why not get the one that normally comes with it?" I was flabbergasted. I'd had the gun for so long I didn't even think of it. So I put in a call to my friend from Ruger for a cheap dinged and dented one, or one with a chip out of it or something just so I could shoot it. Nothing happened until one day a brand new stock arrived at my door. I guess they never had any banged up stocks they wanted to send, so they just sent me a new one. I shot it for the first time ever last Sunday. I topped it with an old Tasco World Class Plus straight 24x50 scope with 1/8" adjustments that I use for load development. This is an old discontinued Japanese scope and it is an outstanding product. I had some Hornady Custom .220 Swift ammo left over, and after boresighting, my first shot was about 4 inches high and 4 inches left. I adjusted accordingly and put the next three rounds into a one inch target dot. Cool. So I packed her up and went on to another one.

My Martini has a heavy one inch Schneider barrel and is chambered for the sexy little .218 Bee cartridge. It has the most gorgeous wood you will ever see on a gun, and in fact is one of the most beautiful guns you can imagine, with highly polished metal and topped with a 12x 1.5" Unertl scope. Put a few rounds through it and put it away.

My Colt Competition II H-Bar has a Hogue floated forearm with no goofy cheese graters on it. Hogue grip, also. I installed a standard sling swivel so I'm not torquing the barrel when I sling up. I broke this gun in one round at a time with JB Bore cleaner for the first 20 rounds, then sent it to 300 Below for cryogenic treatment. With Federal Gold Medal 69 grainers it's a half inch gun all day. I changed a few trigger parts and scoped it with Burris XTR extra high rings with the Burris Picatinny top on one ring and a Docter mini red dot on top of that. It has a Leupold VX-III 4.5-14x50 in the rings. It also has a Redi-mag on it that I highly recommend. I shot some Federal LE only tactical loads out of it and it shot them only fair, grouping around an inch or so.

I bought the metal from a best quality German drilling (correctly pronounced DRY-LING [drei is German for three]) made by a gunmaker named Edgar Keiss around the turn of the century. Just a small piece of the foreend was left. No other wood, and it was also missing some metalwork. I bought the gun because it was a work of art. I kept it in a cloth for years, until one day a friend showed up at the gun shop with a cheap Stoeger Coach Gun with the nicest chunk of wood ever to be put on a cowboy gun. I asked him why he would pay so much for nice wood just for a cheap shotgun. He told me he had an acquaintance with an autistic son that couldn't hold a conversation but was a whiz with wood. He said the guy worked cheap and liked to keep his son busy. I went home and gave my friend the pieces and asked him to tell his acquaintance to just put a fence post on it and make it shootable. Nothing fancy, and keep it cheap. Months later I got the gun back and I was shocked. I said, "Oh my God, I wanted something cheap! I can't pay for this!" Turns out the guy never saw a three-barrelled gun before, so chose a beautiful piece of crotch walnut for both the stock and the foreend, made it with a shadowline monte carlo cheedpiece, hand checkered them and even made the missing coined metal pieces. I paid him either $225.00 or $275.00, I forget. But it was gorgeous. Now I had to find out what cartridge the bottom barrel was chambered for. Turns out it is 8x57JR. Sellier and Bellot still loads for this cartridge. It is basically a rimmed 8x57 with a .311 bullet. The top barrels are 16 bore 2.5 inches that I reamed out to 2 3/4. I finally got a chance to shoot the gun and love it. What a creation, and beautiful.

I shot some other stuff, too, but those were the most interesting on that particular day.

Here's the handout I gave the class during the last basic training session, here shown optimized for web use:

Choosing and Installing Bases, Rings, Mounts, and Scopes

The bases and rings used to connect a riflescope to a firearm are often the weakest link in a shooting system. Without a properly fitted connection, the very best scope and rifle combination is rendered useless. Often it is impossible to tell if you have an unsecure or ill-fitting connection until you’re at the shooting bench or in the hunting field, where a poor mount or installation may show itself as inconsistent at best, and at worst cause an excess expenditure of valuable time and ammunition or a wounded animal. Think of scope mounts as the lug nuts of the shooting world.

Once installed you should never have to trouble over a loose wheel. Choosing rings and bases is not the time to pinch pennies or just make due with “good enough.” The money spent will be more than made up for in reliability, ruggedness, and peace of mind. Glossary: These terms are thrown around everywhere quite loosely. Take them with a grain of salt.

Base: A simple steel or aluminum platform in one or two pieces that connects to a firearm receiver via clamps or screws and accepts scope rings into them or onto them secured by clamps, screws, or friction secured dovetails. Some receivers have bases built into them, notably many Ruger/Sako rifles, target and hunting handguns, and various military long guns like the M-4 type.

Rings: Circular clamps used to hold a riflescope and connect it to a previously installed base on a gun. The ring inside diameter must match the scope’s outside diameter. These are mostly one inch or 30mm. The height of the ring must be chosen in regards to the objective lens outside diameter, the ocular bell size, scope length, eye relief, bolt lift, and barrel contour.

Extension rings: Rings of any style with a cantilever portion that allows for a shorter mounting distance between rings. Extension rings are useful to mount short scopes on long receiver rifles or to manipulate eye relief slightly. Normally extension rings offer another ½” of mounting leeway.

Tipoff rings / .22 rings / 3/8” dovetail rings: 3/8” dovetail rings are normally used on grooved receivers. Grooved receivers have cuts running lengthwise in the top of the gun deep enough for the claws of the rings to firmly grip onto. Grooved receivers are normally found on .22 rifles and airguns (although some European .22s and air rifles have grooves that are 11mm or 13mm). Sometimes there is actually a 3/8” base screwed into the receiver instead of grooves cut into it, often because of lack of metal thickness of the receiver. These 3/8” rings may have a circular diameter to hold a scope with a main tube of 30mm, 1”, 7/8” ¾” or others. A standard .22 ring may be called a “one inch tip off”, a “one inch .22 ring”, or a “one inch 3/8” dovetail ring”. Some grooved receiver .22s are drilled and tapped for Weaver style bases. It is prudent to use these much larger bases if available. Weaver style bases simply offer more area for the rings to grab onto.

Weaver style bases: Basic aluminum rails to fit the contour of the firearm receiver. Probably the most commonly used type for sporting firearms. These are inexpensive, and readily available for most guns. Sometimes found manufactured in steel. These are 7/8” wide and vary slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer. The slots running crossways are called recoil slots, and on Weaver style bases will measure around .180” wide.

Weaver style rings: Everyone makes a version. Some are aluminum, some are steel, many are a combination of both. They are made to clamp onto a 7/8” wide base. There is a metal bar or connection screw underneath these rings called a recoil lug that fits the corresponding .180 wide recoil slots on Weaver style bases. Recoil lugs under rings prevent fore and aft movement of the scope during recoil and handling. Most Weaver style rings are detachable from their bases with the scope still in them, and can be reinstalled without major loss of zero. Swapping scopes for different purposes is also facilitated.

Quick detachable / Quick release rings: These systems incorporate some kind of lever to quickly and easily remove your scope for transport, cleaning, exchanging scopes, or other reasons. Some are Weaver style, some are proprietary and require matching bases. A perfect return to zero is normally not accomplished when reinstalled.

Picatinny/1913: These rings and bases are similar to Weaver style. The main difference is that they are based on specifications standardized by the U.S. Picatinny Arsenal in 1913. The main physical difference is in the size of the recoil lugs on the bottom of the rings and the corresponding larger size of the recoil slot in the top of the base. This size is .206”, much bigger than the .180” in the Weaver style. Therefore, a Picatinny ring will not fit into a Weaver base, but a Weaver ring will fit into a Picatinny base. Some manufactures label their products as Picatinny/Weaver but are actually Weaver style. Some Picatinny rings are tightened with an inch-pound torque wrench to ensure a return to zero when reinstalled. Our military M-4 carbines utilize Picatinny rails.

Leupold style: The Leupold style of bases (also Redfield, Burris, and others) are a standard that non-Weaver style mounting systems are measured by. They can be one or two pieces, and are steel, sleek, and strong. They are reliable and trouble-free. There is almost as much interchangeability between manufacturers with the Leupold style as there is with Weaver style systems. Unlike Weaver style rings, the Leupold system is not easily detachable. The top half of the rings must be separated to remove your scope. The front ring is kind of a press fit, with a protruding, beveled rectangle of metal under the ring, turned tightly into a corresponding dovetail slot in the front base. Normally, the two halves of the rings are loosely assembled, and a scope ring tool or a one inch wooden dowel or a screwdriver handle is inserted between the pieces to gain leverage to turn the ring into the base. This is a press fit and cannot be done by hand.

The rear ring sits flush atop the base and is held there by two opposing screws tightened into it. The screws have a leading edge that fits into corresponding slots in the ring. The base screws are tightened into each other, squeezing the ring between them tightly and immovably. By backing out one screw and tightening the other, the ring moves laterally on the base, effectively acting as a windage adjustment. This is of minimal importance unless your base holes are drilled off-center, or there is some other problem that makes your gun shoot left or right so much that it can’t be easily corrected with minor internal scope adjustments.

Dual dovetails: Dual dovetail bases are the same as the standard Leupold style, but instead of the windage screws holding the rear ring to the base, they are omitted, and the rear ring is turned in, just like the front. This system does not offer the extra windage adjustments that the standard bases offer, but it is normally not of major importance, and you may prefer the cleaner lines and fewer parts that the dual dovetail system offers.

Mounts: Mounts generally are a ring and base combination in one piece. See through mounts are common, as well as saddle mounts for shotguns. Mounts from companies like B-Square, NcSTAR, and DedNutz normally do not require gunsmithing to install, and are easily removed without harm. Older handguns and longguns may utilize these mounts, making the gun a much more useful and fun firearm that can be shot more accurately.

STANAG: STANAG means “standard agreement” and is a standardized mounting system used by NATO forces. This system is not widely used in the U.S. STANAG rings and bases must be used together, although there are some STANAG mounts that incorporate a Picatinny style rail that will accept Weaver/Picatinny rings as well as STANAG rings. STANAG rings will not install on standard Picatinny bases.

Ring height:

Scopes should be mounted as low as comfortably possible without touching the barrel. A slightly higher ring may be used to provide clearance for scope caps.

50mm scopes will generally use high rings. Heavy barrels may require extra-high. Mediums may occasionally work with standard contour barrels.

42-45mm scopes will mostly use medium rings with standard contour barrels.

40mm scopes will generally use low rings with standard contour barrels.

Flattop rifles will need super-high rings with an optical center of 1.5 inches or just slightly less for a proper cheek weld.

If you choose to mount the riflescope yourself you will need a few things first. A gun vise of some kind and a clean, well lit area. Remove any filler screws in the top of your receiver with a properly fitted screwdriver. Degrease the holes. This of course does not apply to grooved receivers or integral Weaver/Picatinny bases. Degrease all mount parts, then reapply a light coat of oil to the top of the receiver and the bottoms of the bases or rings. Check the instructions for your particular mounting system. Some manufacturers that use Torx screws suggest a light coat of oil on the screw threads. I normally use Loctite on all base screws. Never Loctite ring screws. Always apply to the screws, not in the threaded holes. Some bases will have screws of different lengths. Check them first visually. Make sure the screws are in the correct places. Screw threads should protrude about the same amount from the underside of the bases. Putting too-short screws in the wrong places can result in a scope being torn off by recoil or handling, and screws that are too long can bind a bolt or result in a loose base. Install the bases using Loctite or oil, depending on what the manufacturer suggests. A tiny dab of fingernail polish works well when Loctite is not available. Tighten securely.

Next, install the bottom half of the rings onto the bases. If you have a Weaver or Picatinny system you may tighten them securely with a properly sized screwdriver or wrench. If you have a Leupold turn-in style you will need to assemble the top half of the ring onto the bottom ring, place it in the base, and use a wooden dowel or non-marring screwdriver handle to turn the ring 90 degrees. This is a press fit and cannot be done by hand. Do not remove the factory applied grease on the mating parts. Every time a Leupold system is installed it gets a little looser. Reapply grease if needed. A Leupold ring wrench is worth its weight in gold for installing rings.

If using a dual dovetail system, repeat this procedure for the rear ring. The adjustable rear base on a standard Leupold system has two opposing screws that allow for significant windage adjustments. Center the ring onto the base by eye and snug the opposing screws.

This is the time to use a scope ring alignment tool if you have one. Those sold by Wheeler Engineering are excellent, and prevent damaged scope tubes caused by misaligned rings. These tools are two piece 1” or 30mm rods. Each one has a pointed end. Install the alignment tool between the ring halves and move the front and rear rings using the alignment tool until the pointed tips of the tool are almost touching.

Remove the top halves of the rings and place your scope in the bottom ring halves. The scope should fall to the bottom of both rings. You can lightly install your top ring halves.

Remove the bolt of your rifle if possible and look through the bore at a target placed at least 25 yards away and adjust your scope so your crosshairs are pointing at the same place you see when looking through your barrel, or use a boresighter of any kind. Results are about the same with any type of boresighting. I prefer a magnetic boresighter such as the Leupold, which does not require specific arbors or lasers, and a target set some distance away is not needed.

Remember, boresighting will simply get your shots on paper at shorter distances so you can sight in by actually shooting at a certain distance with a certain load. No boresighter can sight in a gun. Period.

If you can easily adjust your scope when boresighting to approximate center without significant manipulation of the windage and elevation knobs on your scope you are ready for the next step. If your windage is off a lot and you have standard Leupold type bases with windage screws, take your scope back out before you move the bases accordingly so you don’t misalign your rings and damage your scope. Move the rear base and realign both rings with your alignment tool or place your scope back in the bottom ring halves and ensure the scope drops to the bottom again. Lightly install the top halves of your rings and check the boresight again. With dual dovetail systems you have no option for base adjustments, so if your adjustments are at their maximum, switch to a base with windage screws. If you have a Weaver/Picatinny system and your windage is off, some manufacturers like Millett offer rings that are windage adjustable. If elevation is an issue with any system you may have to place a shim under your front or rear base, or get a base with built-in elevation.

If you don’t have a boresight or alignment tool just do the best you can by eye. You can use a 1” or 30mm bar or an old scope that you won’t mind a scratch or two on to see if it falls to the bottom of the rings. I still sometimes use a piece of an old Harley handlebar that measures .9997 and is perfect.

If your boresight looks good you may now lap your rings if you like. Lapping polishes the inside of your rings. Lapping tools are available from Wheeler Engineering and they not only ensure maximum scope to scope ring contact, but remove any sharp edges on rings that can scratch scopes. Instructions are provided with these lapping tools. The Tipton gun vises and the Wheeler Engineering screwdrivers, alignment tools, and lapping bars are an important part of any firearm workspace and are inexpensive investments that will last a lifetime.

If you have lapped your rings, take care to remove all traces of the abrasive lapping compound with a solvent, then degrease with a moistened patch. Place your scope in the bottom half of your rings and loosely install the top ring halves. With your scope at its highest magnification, aim the scope at a bare wall some distance away or at the sky, and adjust the eye relief. To do this, move the scope gently fore and aft until you get the maximum distance the scope can be from your eye and still give you a full sight picture. At lower magnification you generally have more eye relief available, so remember to set the placement of your scope when it’s at its highest magnification.

This is also the time to level your crosshairs. Again, Wheeler Engineering sells a neat leveling product that rests on your gun and your scope that takes the guesswork out of this procedure. Adjusting the crosshairs by eye is loads of fun. You’ll often have to loosen your ring screws to re-level several times until you’re satisfied that the reticle is straight. Tightening your ring screws also moves your scope slightly one way or another. Tighten the top half of your ring screws evenly from one side to the other, just a bit at a time and always from one side to the other, trying to keep the gap between the rings even. There will be a gap. Tighten your ring screws securely, but don’t try to tighten the screws enough to close this gap.

With your scope now securely mounted, check the function of your gun to make sure the action is not bound by too-long base screws and that the ocular bell does not interfere with the manipulation of your bolt on a bolt action rifle.

Boresight your gun and shoot! Check the tightness of your ring screws occasionally. Have fun!

Aim Hard,

Steven K. Ledin

OpticsPlanet Technical Sales Manager