Airsoft guns?

[achiro]

I'd not really paid any attention to these until my 11 yo son went to a friends house the other day and came home talking about his. My son has been asking for one ever since. Now he has been invited to a birthday party Sat., the invite says to bring your airsoft rifle ready for battle. I thought these were basically bb guns but now I find out that they are more like a paintball thing. Anyway, how safe are these things?

[SicEmBaylor]

Airsoft is gay. I don't just say this because I'm a paintballer and there is a blood-feud between airsoft wankers and us -- I say it because airsoft is truly gay.

Gay.

Scenario paintball>Airsoft>Tournament paintball.

[achiro]

He's 11.

[badger]

From wikipedia:


Airsoft pellets typically leave small lesions (welts) on exposed skin with human targets. While mildly painful, pellets are not typically damaging to the skin. Eye protection is universally mandatory to prevent damage to eyes. It is also often recommended that full face masks and body protection be used during airsoft matches to protect the players' teeth and ears.

Although there have been no documented cases in airsoft, there is a possible hazard when dealing with graphite-coated pellets. In the early days of paintball some players would coat their rounds with graphite so that they would feed into the gun better. Players started to find that if any rounds broke the skin, the wound would not properly heal, leaving a scar. Players and field owners should be aware that this problem may exist in the realm of airsoft as well.

Why don't kids shoot Nerf guns anymore?

[jumperstop]

I wouldn't let them have an air soft battle. Kid loses his eye, parents get sued...

[AlbqSooner]

I got .22 for Christmas when I was 9, and a Browning Sweet 16 when I was 13.

[8timechamps]

achiro, I wouldn't let him "prepare for battle" with an airsoft gun. I think they are closer to bb guns than to paintball. I've never done the paintball thing, but I broke down and got my kid an airsoft gun (mostly because he wore me down with the constant asking). I didn't think there was anything to worry about, until he thought it was funny to try and shoot me in the butt...only he missed and hit the small of my back. Might as well have been a bb gun.

From one father of an 11 year old to another, only get it for him if he's going to be supervised...not to "prepare for battle".

[Curly Bill]

I used to have an Airsoft version of my real-life Glock. It was fun to play around with, but I wouldn't wanna be shot in the eye, or any part of the face with one. I wouldn't allow my kid to "prepare for battle" with em.

[JohnnyMack]

:dean: thinks you're a ***** if you don't get him a water cooled .30 cal for his 12th birthday.

[achiro]

He has guns. Shotgun, bb, 22, .17hmr, and a .243. Having a gun isn't the issue. I wondered more about if these things could penetrate skin or just hurt like a paintball.

[CowboyMRW]

Co2 powered guns bring blood to the surface and hurt like a b***h. Make sure he wears eyewear though and everything will be alright. I've played with friends and we all wore eyewear and were g2g.

[SicEmBaylor]

He has guns. Shotgun, bb, 22, .17hmr, and a .243. Having a gun isn't the issue. I wondered more about if these things could penetrate skin or just hurt like a paintball.

When he turns 12, see if he wants to try a scenario paintball event. I guarantee you that he'll have more fun than he's ever had before.

As for it penetrating the skin, in scenario paintball you're pretty well protected. Unless you do something silly like go out in shorts and a t-shirt, but I don't know how he'd carry all of his equipment around that way.

Find someone who plays paintball and see if you can borrow some of their equipment. Hell, I'd let the kid use some of my backup gear. I'm something of a scenario-paintball evangelical. I'm quick to bring people to the faith. ;)

[SicEmBaylor]

The difference between plain old paintball and a scenario event is that scenario events are often based on real-world "scenarios" or historical events. They also typically last between a full day to a weekend or in the case of D-Day an entire week. They're also played over a much much larger area with a greater number of participants.

You can get an idea of what a scenario event looks like by checking out a couple of my albums on Facebook. In fact, this is something you and your kid would probably really enjoy doing together.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.407631048483.182091.511923483&type=1

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.95005643483.84144.511923483&type=1

[yermom]

yeah, but paintball is a lot more gear and setup

i'm not sure the two can really be compared

it's not like he can show up with the paintball gun to this birthday party...

[badger]

Since you brought it up, I searched around for more info and pretty much every site out there says that eyegear should be mandatory along with adult supervision. Full-face protection is recommended so that teeth aren't taken out either along with eyes, and long-sleeved clothes are also highly recommended, because as someone already mentioned, exposed skin getting hit by plastic pellets really, really stings.

If you are ready to plunk down for both an airsoft AND a full-face protection to go with it (or at least extreme eyewear protection), you might consider it. As someone mentioned, a pre-teen will aim for a body and instead hit somewhere more painful... eye, tooth, small of back, you name it.

[Partial Qualifier]

Airsoft is gay. I don't just say this because I'm a paintballer and there is a blood-feud between airsoft wankers and us -- I say it because airsoft is truly gay.

Gay.

Scenario paintball>Airsoft>Tournament paintball.

Ironic... ;)

[SoonerAtKU]

I think I have one of these somewhere in the house, but it's a spring-loaded one, not gas-powered. It's not going to hurt you unless you get one in the eye, ear, or mouth.

[C&CDean]

I'm dying here. Sicem is calling whatever the hell this airball thing is gay - and then admits to being a certified goo gobbler paintballer? You're killing me Sicem.

All that **** is gay. If you're over 18 and still "play" paintball you're a semen depository of the highest order.

Another thing: You point a gun at me - I don't care what kind it is (BB, paintball, airsoft, etc.), and you're gonna have that thing smashed into your face quicker than you can say Roy ****ing Rogers. Homey don't play that ****.

I made the mistake one time when I was a kid of shooting another kid with a BB gun. Problem was, my pop just pulled in the driveway when it all went down. Kid was a paperboy who folded papers at our house, and I thought it would be funny to shoot him as he rode off with his load of papers. Hit him dead in the temple, and he crashed right in front of my pop as he pulled in. Long story short - that BB gun got broken in 3 pieces over my back/head/neck. Glad it did, cause pop probably would have killed me with it if it didn't break. I learned that day that pointing/shooting at somebody else was some serious business.

[8timechamps]

I'm dying here. Sicem is calling whatever the hell this airball thing is gay - and then admits to being a certified goo gobbler paintballer? You're killing me Sicem.

All that **** is gay. If you're over 18 and still "play" paintball you're a semen depository of the highest order.

Another thing: You point a gun at me - I don't care what kind it is (BB, paintball, airsoft, etc.), and you're gonna have that thing smashed into your face quicker than you can say Roy ****ing Rogers. Homey don't play that ****.

I made the mistake one time when I was a kid of shooting another kid with a BB gun. Problem was, my pop just pulled in the driveway when it all went down. Kid was a paperboy who folded papers at our house, and I thought it would be funny to shoot him as he rode off with his load of papers. Hit him dead in the temple, and he crashed right in front of my pop as he pulled in. Long story short - that BB gun got broken in 3 pieces over my back/head/neck. Glad it did, cause pop probably would have killed me with it if it didn't break. I learned that day that pointing/shooting at somebody else was some serious business.

No ****! I had a similar experience...I shot a bb gun at a kid, thinking I was aiming at his foot. Given that the accuracy of the bb gun was dog****, the bb hit him on the bridge of his nose (an inch either way, and he would've lost an eye). Two things happened that day: 1. The bb gun was trashed. 2. So was my ***.

[achiro]

I learned that day that pointing/shooting at somebody else was some serious business.
and this is probably the biggest issue I have. At least a paintball gun LOOKS like a toy, these airsoft guns look real. I do everything I can do teach him NOT to point a gun in the direction of anyone. MY concern is could this thing undo some of those good habits?

[SicEmBaylor]

I'm dying here. Sicem is calling whatever the hell this airball thing is gay - and then admits to being a certified goo gobbler paintballer? You're killing me Sicem.

All that **** is gay. If you're over 18 and still "play" paintball you're a semen depository of the highest order.

Another thing: You point a gun at me - I don't care what kind it is (BB, paintball, airsoft, etc.), and you're gonna have that thing smashed into your face quicker than you can say Roy ****ing Rogers. Homey don't play that ****.

I made the mistake one time when I was a kid of shooting another kid with a BB gun. Problem was, my pop just pulled in the driveway when it all went down. Kid was a paperboy who folded papers at our house, and I thought it would be funny to shoot him as he rode off with his load of papers. Hit him dead in the temple, and he crashed right in front of my pop as he pulled in. Long story short - that BB gun got broken in 3 pieces over my back/head/neck. Glad it did, cause pop probably would have killed me with it if it didn't break. I learned that day that pointing/shooting at somebody else was some serious business.

I think you just need to watch some of my helmet cam footage on YouTube to be sold on scenario paintball. You'll be right there with me next time I go out. I'm pretty glad that I don't get punched in the face everytime I shoot someone though...that'd really take a lot of the fun out of it.

Fair warning though...most of the games I go to are WWII scenarios and my unit is German so be prepared to get your Wehrmacht on.

[yermom]

sounds a lot like LARP to me

[SicEmBaylor]

and this is probably the biggest issue I have. At least a paintball gun LOOKS like a toy, these airsoft guns look real. I do everything I can do teach him NOT to point a gun in the direction of anyone. MY concern is could this thing undo some of those good habits?

Typically, scenario paintball guns look almost EXACTLY like real guns. That's the entire point -- it's milsim, but so is Airsoft. The equipment in Airsoft is just as expensive unless you just get a little cheap one to play with in the backyard.

Here's a modified Tippy A-5 that's pretty typical of what you'll see:
http://www.doompaintball.com/article_pics/rap4/rap_tippA5_enforcer2.jpg

This is the marker I used for about 5 years before switching to a pump:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v313/SicEmBaylor/PRE_2010-11-17-221200.jpg

Some of my older equipment preparing for a game:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v313/SicEmBaylor/PBDDAY.jpg

Here's the thing...
If you don't think your 11/12 year old kid has the ability to understand the difference between a paintball gun and a real firearm then don't let him play paintball or airsoft. But surely your kid has the ability to understand when it's appropriate to point a gun at someone and when it isn't. Go out to a field one day with him and try the game and see how you both like it. Be involved with him and make sure he understands right from wrong. Millions of people play paintball every year and to my knowledge none of them have suddenly decided to go bezerk and start shooting people.

[SicEmBaylor]

sounds a lot like LARP to me
It'S NOTHING LIKE LARPING. NOTHING! THIS IS WHAT SicEmEx TELLS ME! IT'S IS NOTHING LIKE THAT HOMO-GEEK BACKYARD NERD FEST!

[SicEmBaylor]

And I know what's coming so let me say this: 90% of the people who play scenario are military and former military. The guy who runs my unit is in the Marine Corps and served two tours in Iraq. That's not atypical. I have zero military experience and I'm actually the exception to the rule. Scenario paintball was essentially created by and made for military and former military.

[JohnnyMack]

sounds a lot like LARP to me

Here's a video of SicEm:

j_ekugPKqFw

[C&CDean]

and this is probably the biggest issue I have. At least a paintball gun LOOKS like a toy, these airsoft guns look real. I do everything I can do teach him NOT to point a gun in the direction of anyone. MY concern is could this thing undo some of those good habits?

At 11 I think I'd take him out shooting rather than letting him go "prepare for war" or whatever the hell this silliness is. Generations of safe firearms owners rely on good parents teaching their kids to be safe. All the time.

[badger]

As the only non-military member, I have found the rare footage of SicEm's initiation ritual into the paintball team:

_vwiFgqkZv8

[badger]

And this is SicEm's first time holding a paintball gun:

vjdbkog5fzg

[SicEmBaylor]

Here's a video of SicEm:

j_ekugPKqFw

I kind of dig that chick at the end that's clapping Gandalf and his merry band of geeks.

I bet these LARPing guys get a LOT of tail....from the LARPer chicks.

[SoonerAtKU]

And I'm equally as sure there's a lineup of willing lasses waiting at the edge of whatever field you guys use to play war.

It's LARPing, 100%. You are PLAYING the ROLE of a soldier in LIVE ACTION. That's the definition. The rest of it is window-dressing, no matter what.

Just own it, man. Nothing is worse than a nerd who looks down on other nerds.

[sappstuf]

When LARPing goes bad...

TxF0vygnF2Y

[achiro]

I'm confused now. We went and looked at the airsoft guns and all of them said not to shoot them at people???