Beginners Guide: Types of Airsoft Guns

An adaptation of typical rifles, Assault Rifles are typically set to fire in bursts; semi automatically or fully automatically. Real Assault Rifles by definition have detachable magazines and must have a range of at least 300m. When it comes to Airsoft Assault Rifles, they are typically powered by electric, but can be gas powered too if you’re looking for that genuine recoil.

Real Assault Rifles really became known during the Second World War for their use by all countries. You can find some stunning classic Airsoft Assault/Battle Rifles in mid-century style such as the G&G M1 Garand - a great choice for reenactors.

You’ve probably heard of some of the most popular Assault Rifles that have made their way into cinema and video games: M4, M16 and AK47 ring any bells? In fact, it was a Colt AR-15 Assault Rifle that Tony Montana named his “little friend” in that all-too-famous Scarface scene.

If Terminator II taught us anything, it’s that Shotguns promise two things: power and style.

Offering force over distance, Shotguns are typically single or tri-burst with each fire. Tri-burst Shotguns give you a similar feel to the real-world counterparts that spray their fire. They work best in close-quarter conditions as your range is typically limited, meaning if you’re playing across a large ground, you’re probably best choosing a shotgun as a secondary, rather than your primary Airsoft Gun.

You can find some great Airsoft Shotguns that come close to the real thing, the M870 being one of them. Based on the famed Remington Model 870, you can’t go wrong with this tri-burst replica.

For the long-distance marksman, the Sniper Rifle is for when you’ve honed your skill, mastered your craft, and you’re ready to defend your team from your post with that straight shot.

Airsoft Sniper Rifles work excellently with a spring-powered mechanism. Much like standard bolt-action snipers, the use of spring power allows the gun to use a significant amount of power in a single shot which is exactly how snipers are designed to be used. You’ll also find electric and gas powered snipers depending on what you're looking for.

Some of our personal favourites are the compact ARES AS-02 STRIKER and the emblematic CYMA CM.707.

Designed for single-handed fire, Pistols - synonymous with Handguns - are smaller Airsoft Guns designed for close combat, but still offer decent range. Any committed skirmisher wants one of these in their belt for when the CQB conditions get tight and tense.

They’re a diverse option, with the choice of single fire, burst fire, semi-automatic and fully-automatic Airsoft Pistols to cover all bases. Not only are they great for skirmishes, Pistols are also a good choice if you’re looking for something to do some realistic target shooting.

The Airsoft community contains replicas of some of the archetypes of modern Pistols, including Magnum Revolvers and Desert Eagles (to name a few).

Submachine guns, or SMGs, are either fully or semi-automatic carbines (which means a light, handheld machine gun). These are not the same as light and heavy machine guns which fall under the category of ‘support guns’ (more on that later).

SMGs are essentially souped-up pistols - made to be used in as little as one hand, but with serious fire power and damage. Machine guns are souped-up rifles and are bigger than SMGs. Take the Tokyo Marui Scorpion for example - a replica of the Czechoslovak original - which can easily be held in one hand. Compare that to a sizable M249 Machine Gun and you start to see the difference.

Submachine guns can deliver the power of a primary with the agility of a secondary, so you really can’t go wrong with one of these on the field.

Now that we’ve covered submachine guns, we can move onto light and heavy machine guns. As mentioned, both light and heavy machine guns are forms of support guns. That’s because they do exactly what it says on the tin: they support the rest of the team by laying down serious fire, and preventing the enemy from doing anything but hiding in fear.

Support guns are one of the finest examples of defence as a form of offence. If you’re manning this tactical piece of machinery, it’s your job to keep consistent fire on your enemy so your team can reach their targets as smoothly as possible.

If you want to get comfy in the bushes with one of these beasts, you’re going to want something with a stand to keep it up. The beautiful, real wood Jing Gong RK-74, a replica of the renowned RPK, comes complete with a bipod so you can sit back, relax and lay siege to your opponents.