Pseudotectonic

I should preface this is entirely within the context of Firearms Act 1968, in particular the offences related to air weapons. And that all this time I had the impression that airsoft is not air weapons. But I am raising this question because I saw this. The police website says airsoft guns are air weapons. https://www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fi/af/firearms-licensing/air-weapons/ If airsoft is air weapon, it would become illegal to gift minors airsoft, so will gifting them plastic BBs, under s 24(2). I saw some prior discussions here but cannot find any concrete conclusion. Most websites out there seem to suggest it is ok to gift airsoft to someone under 18, implying that airsoft is not air weapon. I also had the believe that gifting airsoft to under 18 is ok. But if airsoft is air weapon then it would be illegal. It also says you must be above 18 to hire one. So under 18 cannot hire rentals? (What about paintball?) CPS considers paintball guns as air weapons. Pouring over the Firearms Act it doesn't give any indication either way. The definition of air weapon in Firearms Act s 1(3)(b) does not really exclude airsoft, like how airsoft is excluded from firearms. One can say the wordings of Firearms Act would imply air weapon is a subcategory of firearm (e.g. section titles, subsection structures), therefore by virtue of airsoft not being a firearm it is automatically excluded from the air weapon definition, but this is not super explicit, can definitions be interpreted like this? (Any experts of statutory interpretation?) Interestingly, the Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2015 would explicitly exclude any air weapon that is not a firearm, and airsoft which is not a firearm would qualify. So airsoft is certainly not air weapon in Scotland at least for licensing purposes. However, the Act also implies that there are air weapon that is not firearm ("the expression [air weapon] does not include ... an air weapon which is not a firearm"). The dictionary meaning of "air pistol" and "air rifle" and "air gun" would literally include airsoft because of the use of compressed air. Therefore unless air weapon as defined in s 1(3)(b) is strictly a subcategory of firearm, it is possible to count airsoft as air weapon, similar to how airsoft is also imitation firearm. One can argue, if it applies to paintball, it should similarly apply to airsoft, so if paintball is air weapon, so is airsoft? Tangentially, are airsoft fields operated the same way as paintball fields? Particularly in rentals to under 18s?

The law in question is the Section 19 offence: having imitation firearm in public without reasonable excuse. Since a gearbox is not an imitation firearm, there is no offence. ... Actually, what do you mean by possible? What do you mean by travel? What do you mean by complete set of airsoft gearbox?

"Vandalism ate my homework" Is this site insured? Is Connor Collins the responsible person? Is he a sole trader and operating an e-commerce without providing a business address? Surely the postman cannot deliver a letter before claim to a woodland at TN3 9AQ? Does he even own the woodland or have permission to use it?

@ParHunter Very roughly this is a guide for voluming, generally you want to follow a rough ratio of say > 2. The cylinder volume is just literally the cylindrical shaped block of air, inside the cylinder, in front of any port opening on the cylinder. That is the block of air that is being compressed when the piston slams forward. Stronger spring can compress a certain air volume faster, which gives the BB more acceleration, thus fps. (In car: how hard you press the gas) A bigger air volume, will accelerate the BB for longer (given a long enough barrel to make use of it). (In car: how long you hold the gas) You can accelerate to a certain speed by pressing the gas harder, or by holding the gas longer. If you press hard enough, you can get to a high speed using less runway distance. And if you have a long enough runway, you don't have to press the gas as hard, you can just hold the gas for longer, so when you reach the end of the runway you would have gained enough speed.

Of course no one can make it "illegal" to play airsoft however you like it. Any definition would inevitably become a sub-genre of the bigger hobby. I just saw this video which perhaps frames it nicely, basically they are saying, as a hobby like airsoft naturally evolves, it will naturally become big enough to draw too much attention from other people. To overcome this, let's say public image problem, thus allowing the hobby to even continue to exist, it is quite useful to evolve a more sporty format to the hobby, just as other similar "problematic" hobbies have done. This "sport" of airsoft, is currently taking up de fecto by speedsoft. But I think skirmishing should develop its own sport. If someone skiing around and shooting a rifle can become an Olympic sport, there is no reason skirmishing cannot. @GeorgePlaysAirsoft As you say most sites already share a common rule set. You see rules as a killer of new experimental formats. I would argue it is exactly that rules, a set of clear and robust rules, is what will enable experiments with new and different formats. Even a close knit group doing an experimental game (I assume is based on skirmish rules), it would still be operating with some custom rules. And there should be rules (or framework) about these rules. Again your example of no respawn, is still based on the idea of a default rule of respawning at a certain location. I just feel that if you draw a Venn diagram of all the rule sets enforced by all the sites (at least in the UK) there would emerge a basic skirmishing rule set. My opinion is, it is this non-binding, but well adopted and tested, rule set that should become the basis of airsoft sport. Airsoft skirmishing, not some 5v5 paintball format, should define the airsoft-based gunfighting simulation sport. If such as rule set is defined, it doesn't mean it is changed, it just means it is regularised. So that people outside can have a better understanding and expectation of the hobby. And that competition between game operators can take place on better grounds, with most if not all of the sub-standard and poor quality operations condemned as not following code. To start, it will not be something prescribed, merely documented, from the existing, better practices. It is a manicured, curated representation of "skirmishing" that we can call airsoft sport. And if you make variations of these rules, you make your experimental skirmishing games. Of course if you are doing some non-standard game format that is totally different it would not be relevant. The point is, you are making a variation from something. That something needs to be documented at some point in time, and now is perhaps a good time.

Bonus question: In a physics problem, comparing two barrels, one longer and one shorter, assuming in both situations the BB will exit with the same velocity of 300 fps while spinning at the same RPM for hop, would the longer or shorter barrel provide more accuracy? This is an unsolved problem, both theoretically and experimentally. In pure geometry a longer barrel should suggest a more precise exit vector with less angular variation, however the question of BB ballistics inside the barrel is a complex situation combining the Magnus effect, Bernoulli's principle, Coanda effect, harmonics, interactions of plastic vs brass (or steel), and inevitably the probabilities of defects and surface finish variations, etc. We are still very far from a comprehensive theoretical model that describes everything that happens in this simple system, and as far as I know no one has done such an experiment. So really it is still up to debate.

I think ultimately it depends on the context and detail of the question. Are you asking about a physics problem, where all other variables including cylinder size and spring and hop are unchanged, would simply a longer or shorter barrel affect accuracy? Yes, because changing the length would unmatch the air volume, which affects fps, in turn affect reach, and then accuracy. Is it day and night difference? It will not be day and night difference, if your barrel length is not day and night difference. Are you asking about swapping a different length barrel on the same gun, while re-tune the cylinder and hop so that the fps is unchanged? Probably depends more on whether your tech skills can tune it to the same fps and hop. Anecdotally a shorter barrel feels more accurate (see above comments) but it is unknown how air volume factor into this, and whether it is measurably more accurate in a target grouping test. Therefore, in the same gun, the effect of the absolute length of barrel is negligible and unpredictable, because of all these other variables you are inevitably changing at the same time. Some might say it makes "no difference" in a practical sense. Unless you are doing something extreme, of course. Incidentally polishing the same barrel will make a bigger improvement than swapping to a longer or shorter barrel, so is changing hop rubber, or use a heavier BB; barrel length is the last thing you need to worry about, when upgrading the same replica. Are you asking about choosing between two entirely different guns with two different barrel lengths, like an MP5 vs an AK? Or a pistol vs sniper? Now the pool of variables are even bigger, because ergonomics, skills, play style, and even situations where you use them would be so vastly different it would be comparing apple and orange. Even if they all shoot the same fps, the difference in weight of the replica alone would probably make a greater difference in your aiming posture and control than say the barrel length difference. So the barrel length difference, in this question, is quite irrelevant.

I think airsoft can benefit from a baseline rule book, similar to that speedsoft rule book, to better define the game and hobby, and allow it to evolve iteratively perhaps every year. Perhaps the airsoft field / game operating industry is a bit like a dark forest scenario, everyone is trying to run on their own rules, but do not want to share the same rules because competition, which fragments the hobby and sets a very low bar as to how a game is run. The result is you get patchy results as to whether a field is using x rule and not y rule, and a varying degree of how the game is marshalled, which is not great for the growth of the game operating industry as a whole. Whereas if there is some sort of trading standard, some sort of best practice rule book, maybe it will make a rising tide that lifts everyone in the game. And an essential step in raising the profile of the hobby.

Interestingly the biggest speedsoft events e.g. SpeedQB actually has rules against binaries or other "advantageous programming of FCU". And penalties for overkilling.

(Not based on any particular site) Level design: loops, lanes, options, variety, etc which allow strategic options, each area can have different environmental pro/cons for certain builds / play styles, options is king Cover design: crouch, prone, odd openings, jump over, parkour, etc which allow multiple tactical options for every situation, again options is king Scenic design: overall art direction and narrative, identity of each room and building and object, good lighting design, good acoustic design, good prop design, immersion, instagramibility, interactive props and objectives etc that are fun to use, I want to be able to larp at least in my head Comfort and convenience: overall cleanliness, comfy safe zone, maintenance, ventilation, ease of navigation etc Admin: how the game is orchestrated, vibe, atmosphere etc

An upgraded cheap gun will have better fps and higher rate of fire So the question is can you do upgrades, if only just swapping the motor? If you want an international forum you can head to r/airsoft they can speak American over there

@Barry Sayer you might have made yourself a literal grenade because they don't withstand LiPo fire for sure

I have a question about charging LiPo, what are you supposed to be "keeping an eye on" when you are charging the LiPo, indoors? Do you need to literally watch it with a hawk's eye and unplug and chuck it out the window the nanosecond it swells? Or are you just feeling the temperature every 30 seconds or so? And how are you supposed to do all these inside a LiPo bag?

try turning the r hop patch 180 degree, if it hops to the right, it is the patch

What exactly was the model of that battery? And charger? Do you know how exactly did it fail? Just wondering would it make any difference if him being inside the house if the battery suddenly burst without warning

Can you post a picture for proper evaluation

@Adolf Hamster Re air cushion the most convincing article I've seen is here but it only shows that air cushions exist in theory, it doesn't discuss barrel lengths and volumes. But I find it interesting it says "BB's in tight bores follow a more stable path than wide bores" but @Sewdhull @Impulse suggested otherwise. My current believe is wider bore is more accurate, not because of better or worse air cushioning but because it is less susceptible to defects or imperfections or dust ingress or vibrations. Of course again this is pure theory. @ak2m4 @Skara Shorter more accurate!? Last 3 or 4 inches greatly affect accuracy? That is very counter-intuitive. Is shorter more accurate a linear relationship or how is the curve? Was the air volume appropriate for each barrel, same joule, same hop, same BB? What might be the theory behind this? Could it be that the air cushion in the last few inches (where it matters most) has a higher pressure in a shorter barrel than the longer barrel (because to achieve the same joule the shorter barrel needs a stronger spring / air pressure to accelerate the BB within a shorter timeframe) therefore has a stronger stabilising (i.e. centering) effect? And what do you mean 260 to 300 being the sweet spot? You mean it doesn't improve much if it is shorter than this?

Does barrel length affect accuracy? Yes? No? How? And how much? -- Let's do a simple thought experiment. Using maths, and a very typical situation. I have a variable barrel that goes from 50 mm to 550 mm. And I have an imaginary target at 30 metres. I want to find out the different ways the difference in barrel length can affect the grouping diameter. For the purpose of this calculation, we can eliminate the factors of air volume and hop up. Because for every build these would have been tuned accordingly to work with each barrel length. They will all have been tuned to output the same joule with the same BB and with the same hop up performance. Therefore this calculation deals only with the geometrical effects of a longer or shorter barrel. -- Diagram A: Spread introduced by barrel BB travel Assume the barrel is a stock 6.05 mm barrel. The BB has a typical 5.95 mm diameter. Therefore the variation is 0.1 mm. Assuming the BB travels in more or less a straight line, this 0.1 mm variation at the barrel exit will give us the worst case BB trajectory. The final spread diameter at 30 metres is therefore a simple triangle calculation. -- Diagram B: Spread introduced by inner barrel wobble inside outer barrel Due to the construction of airsoft, the inner barrel is normally not fixed inside the outer barrel, but simply rests inside with a little clearance space around. During the firing cycle the gun will definitely be subject to vibrations of all sorts, making the inner barrel essentially wobble inside the space it occupies. Assuming this clearance is 0.4 mm (measured from an AEG) we can similarly calculate the spread it creates at 30 metres. -- Diagram C: Spread introduced by difference in ergonomics A longer barrel will allow you to hold it steady at two further apart locations, because of the longer handguard. This can be fully exploited to create a more stable barrel. Assuming your most steady hand will involuntarily sway within a 2 mm range, we can again extrapolate its effects on the grouping using the same calculation. -- Factor D: Wind There is no diagram for this because wind is not affected by barrel length. We assume a moderate wind affecting our BB at 30 metres to introduce a spread of 50 mm. -- Results: In the order of significance, the barrel length can influence the accuracy through: - Ergonomics - Inner barrel wobble - BB travel inside barrel I will discuss each below. The biggest advantage of a longer barrel has surprisingly nothing to do with the actual ballistics of the BB, but the effect of simply having a longer stick to hold onto gives you a better control of the aim. For shorter barrels below 200 mm, the ergonomic disadvantages will affect your accuracy a lot for long range engagements, although the shorter builds are better for CQB where accuracy is less important than manoeuvrability. The biggest thing you can do to exploit the advantages of a longer barrel in terms of accuracy will be to eliminate hand sway as much as possible while making use of the longer form factor. That means using bipods or resting your gun at something solid as much as possible, and so on. Again it remains true that it is 99% the user and 1% the gun. Even with worst case geometrics, the inner barrel wobble and BB travel inside barrel does not really introduce much spread once you go above 200 mm barrel length, where it generally becomes less of a problem than actual wind blowing your BB. Above say 300 mm, the effect will become so small it becomes virtually no difference in most practical situations. -- Recommendations: - Below 200 mm is strictly for CQB. The BB, the barrel, and the gun itself will all suffer from stability issues for making accurate shots. - While barrel length affects accuracy in pure mathematics, the ballistic effects will have become virtually irrelevant above 300 mm. - Longer barrels (longer guns / sniper rifles) can potentially have better groupings, with the right skills, and probably with the right bipod. - The best method to improve accuracy is improving largely your skills, not your gun. Conclusions: Nothing is new here, but I guess you can't really snipe with an MP5K. But you can potentially snipe with an MP5.

Yea Google says Warhead is a brand of "KO Technologies" which has their own factories and they do EV and drone motors

For any other use, I would agree, but I think for airsoft spring guide bearings, even the cheapest ones will be more than enough, it is not spinning at any high speed nor needs to be precise nor under any specific high load, as long as it rotates better than a washer, it will have performed its duty As long as it is greased, of course

ROF DSG and PME often go together Btw is there a list of the forum-mouseover-hint or whatever it is called? This thread might be a good chance to update it

What is BB?

@ak2m4 Oh? Are they the same? Because I thought the ones on Ali are different/newer ones, they now have a "Stariver" branding and have different RPM options and everything? Is yours from the Solink website? Because I can't find these on Ali

Brushless Gossip Issue 1 - September 2024 ---- Strolling across Aliexpress I've noticed a few new brushless motors popped up recently, and I am happy to say there seems to be a new generation of brushless arms race. The brands seem to have picked up the chatters and are now starting to advertise their improved CPUs and algorithms and response times measuring in milliseconds. The prices seem to be drifting down a little as well which is good. For discussion I will note them down here along with some marketing points they are making. This is purely a review of their marketing and I have not bought any of these. In no particular order: ---- Chaoli CLBL 480 ~£90 + VAT Two models, 26.5k-39k and 39k-48k adjustable RPM with potentiometer on the case "3 ms response" "32-bit CPU" "Emergency stop after power failure, no buffer, stable output" Seems to have a capacitor on the control board Comment: Probably the oldest of this bunch because I have seen this model before but not the others. Potentially the fastest response of the bunch by 4 ms. Still expensive, if they remove the adjustable RPM and make it cheaper this can be a winner. Good for chasing trigger response. ---- T238 QRBLS "Quick Response" ~£68 + VAT Choice of 25k/28k/37k models, no on-board adjustable RPM "Emergency stop after power failure, no buffer, stable output" Comment: Some impressive videos on Youtube, does seem to have faster response. Good budget option. Unknown CPU and response ms, could possibly be room for improvement. Could be good enough for all intent and purposes. ---- (T238 / Solink?) KPG Gamma Brushless ~£58 + shipping £2.33 + VAT Choice of 36k/43k models "7 ms start time" "ARM Cortex M4 @ 100 Mhz" "self-developed patented algorithm" Comment: Impressive marketing. 7 ms is not the fastest tho. RPM seems a bit too much, could perhaps make it slower and improve torque or efficiency. Good budget option if you want the higher RPM. ---- (T238 / Solink) "Demon kinG" ~£110 + shipping £24 + VAT (barely below threshold for Customs Duty!) Choice of 34k/39k/48k/60k models "7 ms start time" "ARM Cortex M4 @ 100 Mhz" "self-developed patented algorithm" Comment: Expensive but they market it as flagship so I would expect the highest quality components. Same factory with the Gamma and the T238? They seem to suggest the 60k model is absolute bonkers for forbidden builds but this is probably irrelevant to most people. Good for unlimited budget extreme builds. ---- Final thoughts: I should throw in the Paragon brushless as honourable mention ("3 ms start") because it was probably the first motor that I am aware to market their boot up time, and I think we can call these millisecond-conscious brushless motors a new generation. And this gen is entering an exciting arms race. The market has definitely moved on from the days of Warheads, and in my opinion unless these last-gens come down in prices, there is little reason to pick them over the newer cheaper models. With Specna starting to bring in brushless into their stock builds (albeit a previous-gen brushless) we are perhaps seeing the start of brushless becoming mainstream in the near future.

pretty sure it was PME