Airsoft Guns Past and Present

Airsoft, as we know it today, originated in Japan in the 1980s, when people, unable to possess real guns, wanted high quality replicas (which also fired something).

Manufacturers of gas guns such as MGC, JAC and ASAHI dominated this period of Airsoft and some of the most sought after airsoft pieces (often with a high metal content) came from these manufacturers in this era. However, as skirmishing with airsoft guns took off, fuelled by the availability of CO2 and compressed air powered automatic guns, with external gas tanks (which, although bulky, worked well on cold days), The demise of classics occurred because the Japanese government banned Green Gas and CO2 over there, so they were left essentially with 134a, an underpowered and expensive propellant.

JAC lasted through 1995 and Kokusai through 1997 producing gas rifles, though they continued making their pistols and revolvers after that. Asahi discontinued their gas guns and went to limited production guns, as far as is known exclusively bolt action. Maruzen, the maker of the Mac10 and 'mini' AUG (86% scale aug), popular beginner's guns, has continued with their smgs and pistols to this day.

It was around this time that Tokyo Marui launched their AEG (Automatic Electric Gun) range, which require no gas and work whatever the weather. The effect of these, long arms (rifles and machineguns) was to drive most of the traditional (gas gun) manufacturers out of business.

Of course, there were collectors of handguns who still wanted gas guns (the handgun equivalent of AEGs, EBB, is a damp squib so far) and manufacturers such as Tokyo Marui, Western Arms and KSC stepped in to produce, first NBBs and then GBB pistols, whilst old timers like Marushin and Maruzen stayed in the market producing their range. These guns had more efficient gas systems, which meant that a reasonable amount of gas could be stored in the magazine (or hand grip on earlier NBBs), removing the reliance on ugly external tanks and increasing the realism.

Airsoft guns were designed to be relatively low in power so that they could be used in confined spaces as space is at a premium in Japan. The combination of realism, safety, flexibility, and low cost made Airsoft more appealing to the average consumer who would like to exercise his or her steady eye! hand coordination without the inherent dangers. Some real steel owners like to practice with their GBB as the cost of ammunition is something like 1/100th of the price!

Springer’s have been around a long time (I owned a Daisy spring .177 once!) and they form the cheap end of the market, with prices ranging from $5 or $6 for very cheap, weak and poorly detailed Chinese made guns (often bearing little or no resemblance to any specific model) to around $60 for top of the range KWC Desert Eagles, with adjustable hop-up and GBB like quality and they continue to

Today, Airsoft is popular in many of the Asian countries and gaining in popularity, for both collecting and skirmishing (where the lower pain infliction and increased realism is winning converts from paintball) in the US and Europe (notably Italy and the UK).

Interestingly, whilst the AEG is the preferred long arm for most skirmishers, there's a thriving market for gas blowback rifles and sub-machine guns and these are becoming better and more powerful as the technology developed for airsoft handguns is applied back to them.

Here at Airsoft Battle Zone we hope you found this tib bit of history interesting on airsoft guns.

Mr & Mrs Armsdealer

Airsoft Games During The Winter Months In Wisconsin

Now that the Winter months have attacked Wisconsin with frigged temperatures and snow, there are a few things you might want to know about airsoft gun game playing and your gas powered airsoft guns or aeg guns. Beginning with your gas hand guns and gas sniper rifles. The problem with these types of airsoft guns is that the gas gets cold and it causes you to lose power and range. Now the aegs are a little different, with a lot of feed back from our customers and from experience of my own it has been found that most upgraded aegs will stop working completely within the first hour of very cold weather and with a good chance of causing damage to your mechbox which if not careful can be very costly. At our last outdoor airsoft event it was 18 degrees for the day, all the airsoft players that had upgraded aeg airsoft guns found there gun stopped working within the 1st hour as well as my airsoft gun. Thank God I had extra airsoft guns that were not upgraded with me for other players as well as for myself to use. With everyone using non upgraded mechbox aegs for the remainder of the airsofting event was able to complete there mission of the game with no airsoft gun problems for the next 4 hours. For more information on your aeg or gas airsoft gun visit us online at Airsoft Battle Zone.

Mr & Mrs Armsdealer

Airsoft Events Being Planned For 2007

We are in the planning stage for Wisconsin airsoft events here at Airsoft Battle Zone with our newly sponsored team Wolf Recon for the year 2007. I will give you dedicated airsofters a preview of what is to come for 2007. Besides the first indoor cqb airsoft event being sponsored here in Wisconsin by Airsoft Battle Zone on January 14th, we are going to have a cook out here at the airsoft gun store in EauClaire, Wisconsin approximately the 1st Saturday of March to promote the sport of airsofting. To date we have 3 confirmed Wisconsin airsoft teams that will be present at the cook out to assist anyone who has questions or help with sign up for the free safety training airsoft course. Now there will be a lot of educational information on airsoft safety, airsofting events, rules, and a annual sign up for a free safety and training course which will only be offered once a year for free at our annual airsoft cook out, after that we will hold them once every 3 months and the fee will be $10.00 to $15.00 each person to cover materials. A few other ideas we are discussing include a spaghetti dinner at an airsofting event, an annual corn roast, annual pig roast and the 1st airsoft equipment, gear and airsoft gun rummage sale. These are just some of the ideas that are being tossed around for events for the airsofting sport for the year 2007. If any die hard airsofter has any further ideas please leave a comment to this post or visit Airsoft Battle Zone Forum section and post your ideas. Don't forget we will have 3 great playing fields to battle it out on, we will post every event on this blog to keep everyone informed so check back daily for all upcoming airsofting events or you can visit us online at Airsoft Battle Zone.

Mr & Mrs Armsdealer

After Action Report: Operation Columbian Necktie

The results are finally in from Operation Columbian Necktie. For all who could not attend this bone chilling airsoft game event missed a great time.

People started arriving to the Country Jam grounds in EauClaire, Wisconsin on this bone chilling morning of December 3rd, 2006 at 0830 and continued arriving until about 9:45AM. We got everyone who attended this airsoft event registered and chronographed. Everyone was split into teams and the briefing began at 11:00AM. A little behind schedule, but we were short staffed due to the cold. Game started a little after 11:00AM with the Government forces rushing the crash site and taking several kilos of cocaine. The Cartel responded by clearing out all but one of the government forces before being killed off. Amidst the Chaos a civilian and 3 canines wandered into the area and had to be evacuated.
With the Government holding the crash site and its respawn point the Cartel decided to put all efforts on recovering the large pile of coke in possession of the Government at their base via the village. Quite a lot of close quarters fighting house to house with several "bang" kills recorded. The Angry Farmers also assisted in hassling the government forces, but due to their small numbers, they were quickly routed. The game progressed with the Government holding off the Cartel very well from their base. Ending at 12:30PM final score was 52 Kilo's for the Government and 32 for the Cartel.

We broke for a nice lunch for about an hour and a half and started the 2nd half at 1400.

The objective of mission two was to hold the road and the convoy of supplies on it.

The Cartel quickly established control and held the Government at bay for about 45 minutes. The Government Forces pooled their resources and out flanked the Cartel's position, gaining control of the road for the remainder of the time. Despite numerous valiant attempts by the Cartel to regain control, they had lost 4 players during the game. The Farmers jumped in to assist the Cartel, but battery issues on both sides led to more and more players dropping out.

Final score Government 102 points and Cartel 32 points.

A good clean game was played by all, with absolutely no accusations of cheating on either side. There were a few times players had to be reminded to pay extra attention to if they were being hit or not, but with all the bundling up necessary to play in this environment, I am confident they were all unintentional.

All in all it was a great event. It was our first game at the Country Jam grounds and I think its safe to say people enjoyed their experience and will be back to settle the score. I want to thank everyone who attended and exhibiting great sportsmanship, camaraderie and above all having fun. Its people like you that make the sport of airsofting great.

Mr & Mrs Armsdealer

Airsoft Gun Safety Suggestions

There are a lot of pros and cons about the sport of airsofting. Here you will find some common sense airsofting safety tips.

1) Full face mask the impact standard for these are ANSI z.87.1. rated. It is very important to protect your eyes and teeth.

2) Make sure you have full skin cover; these little plastic pellets can sting on bare skin.

3) Make sure you are at least 15 feet away from your opponent before firing your airsoft gun.

4) Never remove the orange tip from your airsoft gun it is Federal Law.

5) Always treat your airsoft gun as a real weapon.

6) If you’re transporting your airsoft gun always have it in a gun case.

7) Never display your airsoft gun in the open public. Meaning do not play or run down a side walk with it in your hand.

8) Do not airsoft in any public place..Parks, campgrounds, and school play grounds ECT...

9) Never take any airsoft gun to school.

10) Always play airsoft games or target shoot only on private property or designated playing fields. Check with your local and state laws on airsoft guns and the sport of airsofting before playing due to the laws are different at every local and state level.

11) If you commit a crime with an airsoft gun you will be charged as if it was a real gun.

These are just a few of common sense safety measures you should take for airsoft guns and the sport of airsofting. Remember most of your AEGS, gas airsoft guns and spring airsoft guns look like the real guns most of the better brands are all 1 to 1 scale to the real firearm so please treat it as a real firearm. IT MEANS THE FUTURE OF THE AIRSOFTING SPORT!!

Mr & Mrs Armsdealer

Indoor CQB Another One Bites The Sawdust Game Rules

Ok, here we go again with another great airsoft scenario game behind us and frost bit fingers and toes we are now moving indoors. Come join the fun with us on January 14th,2007 for Operation "Another One Bites the Sawdust" You can get all the hottest information about this airsofting event on line at airsoftbattlezone.com
Because we want every one to have a safe and fun airsoft event please find the indoor cqb game rules as follows:

1. GOGGLES AND FULL FACE MASKS MUST BE WORN AT ALL TIMES WITHN THE PLAY AREA AND TARGET RANGE. At no time during the game will a player be allowed to break the seal of the goggle from around their eyes. Only goggles / eyewear that meet the following requirements will be allowed:
• The impact standard for goggles is ANSI z.87.1.
• They must fully encompass the eyes, with no gaps.
• They must be fitted with a head strap to keep them from falling off during a game.
• The lens frame must be sturdy enough to keep the lens in place during play.
In addition, all players will be required to wear full face masks covering the mouth, ears, and nose areas. Paintball masks may have the cheek areas cut away to allow the proper shouldering of long arms, as long as all openings in the head are fully covered by the remainder of the mask. Cloth coverings such as balaclavas, scarve, shemeaghs, etc., will NOT be considered adequate face protection for this indoor CQB event. Rental masks will be available onsite.

2. BARREL BLOCKING DEVICES ARE REQUIRED. Barrel blocking devices such as the red barrel caps that come with most AEGs, paintball approved barrel socks/condoms, or holsters for sidearm’s are required to be secured over player’s gun barrels at all times. The only exception is at the target range or within the playing area after a game starts. Violators will be asked to leave the building with no refund issued.

3. ALL GUNS MUST BE MAGAZINE FREE OUTSIDE THE PLAY AREA. All handheld or slung guns must be loading magazine free (“Mag Free”) in the staging area. Sidearms are not required to be mag free as long as they are holstered. When leaving the play area, a player must remove the magazine from his gun, fire 2-3 clearing shots in a safe direction, and cap his gun barrel with his barrel blocking device before proceeding to the staging area.

4. ALL GUNS MUST BE SAFELY TRANSPORTED. All guests must transport their guns in a safe manner. Specifically, a gun must be carried in a soft or hard shell case suitable for real firearms, or within its original factory shipping box, until you are in the staging area inside the building. Since the building we are using is within the Osseo city limits, guns MUST NOT be removed from their cases until they are inside the building – removing a gun from its case in the parking area could result in confiscation of that gun by the Osseo police, as well as ejection from the event without a refund. All guns must have a factory-installed trigger guard.

5. FPS LIMIT WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED. All guns must be chronographed prior to game time. Players may also be chosen at random for handheld chronograph spot-checks.

FPS Limit for all guns: 350 FPS w/ .20 gram BBs.


All guns will be chronographed prior to the beginning of the game using .20 gram BBs. You will be given 2 attempts, consisting of no more than 3 shots each, in which to chronograph at the appropriate FPS. If your gun is unable to chronograph legal after 2 attempts, you will not be able to use that weapon in the game. Once your gun passes the chronograph test, it will have a colored zip tie attached to it. No weapons without zip ties will be allowed in the play area. All guns are subject to a chronograph test at any time deemed necessary by the Event Organizer or referees. Any modifications made to your gun after being chronographed found to increase your FPS will result in your immediate and permanent removal from the game. No refunds will be issued.

6. 6mm PLASTIC OR BIODEGRADABLE BBs ONLY. Metal BBs are not allowed. Once your gun has been chronographed, you may choose to fire .20 gram or .25 gram 6mm BBs during the game. .20 gram and .25 gram BBs will be available for purchase in the staging area before and during the game. BBs heavier than .25 grams are not allowed. Weapons firing 8mm BBs may not be used.

7. SHOOTING SAFETY. Players may only discharge their weapons at the target range or within the play area. No shooting into or out of the staging area or outside the building. NO BLIND SHOOTING - players must be able to see what they are shooting at. Players may never shoot at another player who is closer than the minimum engagement distance of 10 feet. If an opponent is closer than 10 feet away, a player should shout "BANG!" in order to notify the opponent he/she has been eliminated at extreme close range. You must have an open line of sight to perform a “bang” kill - a "bang" kill may not be performed through a barrier or through netting. While head shots count, players are asked not to intentionally target another player’s head. Full automatic fire may be allowed during particular scenarios at the discretion of the Event Organizer.

8. KNIFE KILLS. Players are allowed to bring rubber knives for use in silent eliminations. To eliminate a player from behind with a knife, lay the knife on the player’s shoulder where he or she can see it with a head turn, and whisper “KNIFE!” A knifed player is immediately eliminated the moment the knife touches their shoulder, and may not cry out or do anything but collapse to the ground. If two or more players face off against each other with drawn knives, both are considered to have stabbed each other and both are eliminated automatically. NO PUNCHING, GRAPPLING, BLOCKING OR ANY OTHER PHYSICAL CONTACT OF ANY KIND IS ALLOWED!

9. MOVEMENT. Players may not construct anything that will hinder the movement of or cause injury to other players. Players may not alter or move any non-prop features or barriers in the play area. Players may never climb onto or under features. Players may shoot through any opening in a wall, but may only pass through doorways – climbing through windows or holes in walls is prohibited. Do not charge blindly into a space or around an object, as the area may already be occupied. BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL NOT TO STEP ON ELIMINATED PLAYERS!

A player may leave a scenario at any time by calling “I’M OUT!”, raising their hands above their head and going to the target range. All guns must be either holstered or mag-free with barrels blocked before they may be carried into the staging area.

10. NO UNAUTHORIZED EQUIPMENT. The building is heated to the mid-50s in winter, so dress appropriately. Since this is normally a paintball facility, the walls and features will have paint on them and players should bear in mind that they are highly likely to get paint on their clothing during play. Players are not allowed to bring into the building any equipment deemed unsafe by the Event Organizer. Players in the play area are not allowed to carry real knives of any kind, metal tools of any kind, explosive or other pyrotechnic devices, real firearms, or other non-Airsoft related items. No metal cleats on shoes or boots. Smoke grenades are not allowed. BB grenades or other non-pyrotechnic explosives simulators must be individually approved by the Event Organizer before use in a game.

11. NO ALCOHOL OR ILLEGAL DRUGS ARE ALLOWED ANYWHERE ON SITE. No smoking within the building. Smoking is allowed on the sidewalk outside the building and in the parking area.

12. NO VERBAL ABUSE OR PHYSICAL CONTACT. No profanity, name calling, or slurs against anyone’s race, color, national origin, family members, teams or equipment will be tolerated. Guests wearing clothing with offensive wording on them will be asked to remove the garment. A player may not touch another player or their personal equipment at any time without their express permission, except to tap a shoulder during a knife kill.



13. REFEREES’ DECISIONS ARE FINAL. Any decision a referee makes is final and will not be discussed in the play area. The referee will discuss any calls in a calm manner in the staging area after the scenario is over. Players who are found by a referee to have violated any of the rules listed here will be asked by the Event Organizer to leave the game with no refund issued.

14. AGE REQUIREMENT. All players must be sixteen years old or older to participate. Players under eighteen years old are required to have a Parental Waiver signed and dated by their parent or legal guardian. NO EXCEPTIONS.

15. ELIMINATION. A player is eliminated from play if a BB strikes any part of his/her body, from the top of the head to the tips of the fingers to the bottoms of the feet, including any of equipment or gear worn. When a player is eliminated he will call out loudly “I’M HIT!” He will immediately fall to the ground as if dead, and remain in this position until time is called on the scenario. No players are allowed to fire upon eliminated players.

Live players are not allowed to “play possum” or otherwise pretend to be dead in order to lure other live players closer. Live players are not allowed to move or reposition eliminated players.

Eliminated players are considered dead and MUST NOT talk or communicate in any way with their teammates until the scenario is over. Eliminated players are not allowed to give any equipment or supplies to any other player, but may quietly leave equipment lying where they were eliminated. Hits to a player’s gun do not eliminate a player; However, they do eliminate that weapon. The gun is unusable until it has been returned to the staging area. An eliminated player must immediately drop any game props he or she is carrying.

Airsoft is a game of HONOR and Sportsmanship. ALL players strive to exemplify fair play and call their hits, regardless of circumstance. In situations where a player isn’t sure, they should give their opponent the benefit of the doubt and simply call themselves out. You will not have to wait long to get back into another scenario if you are eliminated, so please take your hits!

Players must exercise particular caution during indoor Close Quarters Battles to not over-shoot an opponent, or fire upon an opponent within the 10-foot “no-shoot” range. Any player who, instead of using the “Bang!” call, fires upon an opponent within 10 feet will be automatically eliminated the first time by the referee whether or not their fire hit their opponent. That player will also be warned that they will be ejected from the building if they do it again. Players who are determined by the referees to be over-shooting their opponents will be warned once, then ejected from the building without refunds if they continue to over-shoot,

Cheating will not be tolerated in any form by any player. If you are caught cheating you will be ejected from the building and you will NOT get a refund. Period.


16. GAME PROPS. Game props supplied or personally approved by the Event Organizer are the only props authorized for use in the play area.

17. ROLEPLAYING & SCORING. There will be no Medics or wounding in these scenarios. Eliminated players do not reinsert, but remain lying on the ground where they were eliminated until the end of the scenario is announced. In the building we will be using, indoor scenarios go quickly. There will be many scenarios throughout the day, with players rotating in and out of the play area. Players may be assigned specific roles at the discretion of the Event Organizer. The scoring of each scenario will be explained by the Event Organizer before the scenario begins.

18. LOOTING. In some scenarios, eliminated players may be looted for their game money and/or game props by live players. Only game money and/or game props may be demanded by a looter, no other item or equipment may be demanded. To loot an eliminated player, an active player must move to within arm’s reach of where the eliminated player lies and say, “Looting!” If the eliminated player has any money or prop items, he or she must immediately give ALL of it to the first active player to say “Looting!” If the eliminated player has no money or props, he or she simply ignores the looter AN ACTIVE PLAYER MUST GO TO THE ELIMINATED PLAYER TO LOOT, THE ELIMINATED PLAYER DOES NOT MOVE. AT NO TIME MAY THE ELIMINATED PLAYER SPEAK OR OTHERWISE COMMUNICATE WITH AN ACTIVE PLAYER.

19. COMMUNICATIONS. Squads are allowed to use walkie-talkies if they so desire. Channel 5 with all its subsettings is the Event Organizer’s/Referee’s channel and its use is restricted.

If you would like to have some safe and fun airsofting adventure sign up now, there is only 40 tickets for sale and they are going fast.

Mr & Mrs Armsdealer

Airsoft Battle Zone and Team Wolf Recon Become 1 Force

Today a very exciting event took place here at Airsoft Battle Zone and Team Wolf Recon became 1 force, let me explain what I mean by this. Most consumers look at a retailer as just a business making money, NOT the case here at Airsoft Battle Zone. We are in business not to only make a profit but to promote the airsofting sport in a positive and safe manner threw out our nation. Our goal is to work with communities all over the state of Wisconsin and the other 49 airsoft association communities to promote safety, education, sportsmanship, responsibility, and healthy fun in the airsofting sport. So with that all said my husband and I decided we would like to sponsor a team, so with sponsoring events, talking with different teams and listening to what there goals are as a team and watching the teams play we decided that Wolf Recon was the team for us. Moving forward we popped the question to the Wolf Recon Team letting them know that Airsoft Battle Zone would be Honored to Sponsor there team. So now we unite! Now what does this mean to the team and us, you ask? This means many different things with the first one being educating the communities on the safety and dangers of airsoft guns and playing the airsofting sport, working with schools of all grades, working with the police departments, and working with local military to accomplish this goal. The next is working with the youth in the inner city and out lying areas by teaming them up one on one with a Wolf Recon team member at airsofting events so they learn sportsmanship, safety, patience, responsibility and maneuvers among much much more. Another one of our goals is to have a safety and training class for all who would like to attend for all ages. Also we would like our Team Wolf Recon and Airsoft Battle Zone to be able to travel to other events in other states to promote the sport of airsofting by playing these events win or lose but to simply promote a positive attitude on the airsofting sport. You can bet one thing Wolf Recon will be the best and most positive airsofting team Wisconsin has ever seen because they have what it takes to do this and with Airsoft Battle Zone backing them and Wolf Recon backing us the Airsofting Sport will be much more productive and safe in 2007.

Mr & Mrs Armsdealer

Operation Columbian Necktie After Action Report

12/10/2006
The day has arrived for this long awaited airsofting event, Operation Columbian Necktie. The day begins with going to the Wisconsin Country Jam grounds to finish the set up for this airsofting event. We arrive at 8:30A.M. The temperature is 18 degrees outside with a slight cold wind, the teams begin to arrive all geared up and ready for some action. Once all the teams arrived they all gathered at the Airsoft Battle Zone booth to purchase their ammunition and to rent their favorite G&G and Tokyo Marui aeg airsoft guns. It now is 10:00A.M. The briefing begins and the teams are split into equal sides. The airsoft scenario is on, with everyone headed for there positions and I going to my position a heated truck, I await for action reports. As the game scenario proceeds I have the government troops coming to my very heated truck to report they have collected a lot of cocaine and the rebel team is fighting desperately to obtain it back into there positions. I feel they only reported to me to grab some heat as I would roll down my window. Threw out the 1st half of the airsoft scenario I would have rebel players come to me one at a time to drop off items for me to hold so they would not lose it in the buildings and woods they were playing in, but again I still think it was for the warmth of the truck. The rebel intelligent would inform me of there fight so desperately to obtain the cocaine back from the government forces. It now is high noon; with the airsoft team’s frost bit from the first half of the event but loving every second of it they are starving so off to lunch we all go. They all grabbed a nice hot bbq sandwich, potato salad, baked beans, chips and hot cider they all gathered around and discussed the afternoon strategies of winning this airsofting event. During lunch we enjoyed a side show of Wolf Recons team all doing a great dance and of course from my nice and hot vehicle I got some great recorded footage of this dance. Can you vision about 7 men all dressed in camo dancing it was a site to see. Ok lunch is over, on with the 2nd half of Operation Columbian Necktie, and of course with me back in my nice hot position in the truck the troops move into the woods where I can watch all the action. The shoot outs were amazing a couple of times I was even in the line of fire. Watching these teams sneaking and stalking there opponents was great and again I got some really great footage on video. However the rebel troops just could not get there cocaine back the government forces really held there ground. Well as the game went on the day began to end with the sun going down and it becoming colder when the teams could no longer see each other the scenario had ended, so you can bet with neither side winning by night fall and both sides fighting so hard for their cocaine there will be a part II. With everyone packing up there gear and all the chatting on how great this airsofting scenario was and how great the field was to play on and how they can not wait for the next event they realized they were froze and starving. So I kindly shuttled everyone to there vehicles a team at a time and off to Old Country Buffet we all went for some heat, food and great conversation. Our next airsoft event will be held January 14th, 2007 Operation: Another One Bites the Sawdust so feel free to come and battle it out with us. For all the information on this event visit us online at airsoftbattle zone.

Mr & Mrs Armsdealer