Paintball/Airsoft

[GunNut]

Ask anybody about Paintball and they will have either played it or at least heard of it. So why do so little people know about Airsoft, which is extremely similar, cheaper and more realistic?

It may have something to do with the fact that Paintball is far older than Airsoft, but what about the younger generation? I think I read somewhere that Airsoft is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK, but is this really true?

In my opinion, Airsoft should be given a higher status in the media and in peoples impressions, rather than it being 'some weird gun thing where people shoot each other', which I've noticed some people think. And also, some people seem to have preconceptions when it comes to Airsoft (and guns in particular) which they don't have for Paintball. Maybe this is because Airsoft can be compared to real military simulations, where Paintball can't.

All ramblings aside, what's are your opinions?

 

[MZKaleem]

im not too sure why either...probably because people advertise paintball parties and stuff in shopping areas, also i was wondering why everyone in my year thinks i play with BB guns? they must not know one obvious thing, i use a plastic BB gun, the term BB, is commonly used as a metal pellet or ...well ball bearing, so if i do play with "bb guns" why is it so crap, i could easily kill them if not injure them badly, and im not joking, some of them i want to kill!

 

[Deva]

Paintball is better advertised especially towards corporate events and so it has more money to invest in sites and more advertising etc. Everything can be provided to you, which isn't the case at some airsoft sites.

 

[GunNut]

also i was wondering why everyone in my year thinks i play with BB guns? they must not know one obvious thing, i use a plastic BB gun, the term BB, is commonly used as a metal pellet or ...well ball bearing, so if i do play with "bb guns" why is it so crap, i could easily kill them if not injure them badly, and im not joking, some of them i want to kill!

Arghh! I know exactly what you mean, it really annoys me too.

Yes, Paintball is way better advertised, but why?!?!?

 

[M_P]

its probably, as already said down to advertisement, and people know waht paintball guns look like and the fact that most people are scared of guns

 

[MZKaleem]

haha yeah, next time i go pant balling im gonna take a GBB pistol, tell em what realism looks like

EDIT paintball guns mostly work flawlessly in the cold, 1 more reason, they run on Co2 as far as i am aware

 

[Rock-climby-Dave]

nope, most paintballers now use compressed air.

 

[MZKaleem]

well gas none the less, seems our gas techniques are not as good as theirs though, ours only just work in cold conditions

 

[Rock-climby-Dave]

compressed gas in much harder to store I believe, hence the large more spherical tank.

I have also come up with a better description for airsoft than 'it's like paintball, but with bb guns'

i now use

'it is a military simulation wargame using RiF's' sounds much better.

 

[MZKaleem]

except i use an IF...so no!

 

[sarni307]

I'm going to start using that one dave because I always say "it's like paintball only using replica firearms which shoot 6mm bb's" and the response is nearly always the same "so you run around a woods with bb guns that sounds well cr*p/gay" I think it's because nearly every male in this country has some experience of springers when they were kids and don't realise how different it is to that.

 

[MZKaleem]

+1 sarni, or i could say, Airsoft is basically CoD IRL (Because we all know it is...) except you dont get "jugger-noobs, you get cheaters, you dont get hackers, you get systema PTWs, you dont get quick scopes you get a scope hitting you in the eye...

 

[GunNut]

'it is a military simulation wargame using RiF's' sounds much better.

Wow, that's good. Makes you sound really knowledgeable, although it is the simplist of things!

 

[Cam-the-airsoft-sniper]

Well think about it...paintball keeps away the chavs and the stag-do idiots who cheat.

 

[Rock-climby-Dave]

on the contrary, stag do's hire out F+O sites and I marshalled one the other week.

They were all properly getting stuck in, was a really good day and a ###### sight more fun to watch than our usual games :lol:

 

[tashidalek]

i heard its harder to get shopping malls to let people in to advertise airsoft guns rather than paintball guns as they look less realistic,,,,

Also they alot more paintball sites in uk than airsoft sites.

 

[MZKaleem]

It is obviously waaay more popular in the states (airsoft) as they have cheap guns to introduce people in Walmart, i thought, hey Asda is part of the Walmart family, they have AIRSOFT GUNS!!! YAY, turns out

A ) They dont

B ) They suck anyway

 

[Rock-climby-Dave]

In the states they have far more relaxed citizens, over here people are scared of anything gun shaped or even remotely knife or other weapon shaped. I personally blame the media (yeah, i know) they portray everything as a bad thing. I carry a knife, when i am not going to college, because it is a usefull tool to have, I'd rather have it 'binered to my belt loops and not need it that someone ask for one and not have it. I have mentioned it to a few people and some have seen it and questioned me about it quite harshly and ALL of them appeared shocked. people need to learn that knives are tools before weapons.

the same goes for airsoft guns, they are toys before anything else in my mind. Yes they look real, but it shouldnt stop companies being allowed to advertise and let the economy grow (if only vaguely)

people are only scared by airsoft guns because they don't know what they are, who we are and what we are about. with a little education I'm sure airsofters could have the same benefits (or at least not be descriminated against) as paintball has. (maybe even reverse it, we are honest players, paintballers are all D*cks )

they also tend to have a fear of the unknown and everyone knows paintball.

 

[MZKaleem]

Good stuff dave, all true

send to everyone you know...

EDIT, not chavs though, lets keep this a good community

 

[The Leprechaun!]

Only problem with that video is somethings are applicable to the UK (ie no mention of UKARA, the red tips guns in the video plus the bit about some states not allowing airsoft...)

Just show em a vid of Stirling Airsoft and everyone will be buzzing to go! :lol: