Airsoft 101

Introduction

NOTE: This is a work in progress, so I will be adding to it gradually

This thread is for everyone out there, the pro and the noob. All the topics I cover in here have been broken by veteran players too, human error and stupidity knows no bounds. If you’re bored and want to get a view of airsoft from someone who’s been around the block, or you really want to learn how to stay away from being labeled an amateur, then give this a read.

I’ve been thinking about doing this for quite a while, but always forget to throw my thoughts together after a game. I figured I will start now and add too it when I can. I’ll start out by telling you a little about myself and my background in airsoft. My name is Brandon Chisholm (Umbra), and I’ve been playing airsoft since 2000, when I was only 13. I’m am currently a senior in computer science engineering at NCSU. In 2001 my brother and I started the first team in the triangle area, T.A.G., and have been playing strong ever since. We are one of the founding teams of the NCAO, and I’ve served a year term as its president (2010). Along with my experience as a team captain, I’ve been honored with commanding some of the largest games held at CDWC, back when 120 players was the most we had. I currently ref walk-on airsoft games at Xtreme Kombat and host larger “mil-sim” games when possible. I’ve played and enjoyed every game type and every role, from paintsoft to real-mil, from CQB to sniper. The advice and tips contained here are a product of my experience from playing airsoft, whether it be a 13 year old just wanting to be an airsoft sniper, or a 24 year old training others how to be one, a paintsofter, milsim’er, real-mil’er, game organizer, referee, this is for all the airsofters out there.

Part 1: What is airsoft?

Many players get lost in their own experience and forget what airsoft really is. To some, it may be a tool to keep their military training sharp, but for others it may be a way to bring their shooter fantasy to life. No matter what the reasons are for playing, we must all respect that not every airsofter has the same motivations. Who are we to dictate why an individual enjoys doing something? If an airsofter wants to put a 9×50 scope on an mp5, or dual wield pistols, it’s their right to do so. As long as the rules of the game aren’t being violated, they are doing nothing wrong. To openly criticise and degrade another player for their playing style or gear choice goes against the very essence of why we play this game. We should be supporting and encouraging players with positive criticism and advice to direct them to become better players. We are all out there to have a good time and play with honor and sportsmanship. So to answer the question, airsoft is a collection of enthusiests that regularly play together in a supportive and honorable manner, and it just so happens that we used replica guns in the process.

Part 2: Airsoft Etiquette

This section is focused on how players should behave and what NOT to do. These are common mistakes airsofters make, and most of them are from newer players. If you are offended by anything said here, then learn to handle the truth.

Off the Field

I’ve found that airsoft is a lot like an iceberg, a majority of the entertainment and substance happens off the field. This can be before or after the game in the staging area, on the forums, talking to friends about it in public, or pregame planning and preparation. We must not forget that our actions off the field can directly effect what happens on the field. Our community is what keeps us playing, and its hard to play in a community that doesn’t respect or want to play with you. Be mindful on the forums, always take the higher ground, and don’t forget that the net is written in ink.

In the Staging Area

Safety: The staging area includes the parking lot, pick nick tables, sign in, or anywhere NOT on the playing field. These areas are to be considered safe areas at all times. Under no circumstances should you ever fire a BB in the staging area. This includes walking to the treeline or “far enough away” from the cars. Most fields have this as a solid rule for a reason. If a serious injury occurs from an airsoft player, it threatens everyone else’s ability to continue playing at that field, AND could permanently blind someone. Many players take for granted how important eyesight is. There are certain things in this world that are OK to gamble and take risks with, your eyesight is NOT one of those things. To compliment the no firing rule, magazines should be removed before entering the staging area and kept out of the gun. Be sure to remember to clear the chamber of any BBs after removing the magazine. I’ve seen countless incidents of players forgetting there’s one in the chamber and firing a BB at a car or friend on accident. These accidents happen, even if you haven’t seen them first hand. Dry firing is acceptable at most fields for testing purposes. But again, be sure there is nothing in the chamber.

Briefing: BE ON TIME! If the briefing is set to start at 10am, give yourself at least 30 minutes to gear up, that means be at the field at 9:30. The briefing is just as important as the beginning of the game. If you don’t know what the scenario is or how the respawns work, or screw up the headcount because you missed the briefing, then your laziness is disrupting the gameplay for everyone else. People are paying a field fee to play airsoft, not wait on you because you partied the night before. Be respectful and don’t talk during the briefing. This delays game start and you may miss important scenario points or rules. The game organizers and admins put a lot of time and effort into organizing a game. I’ve seen so many games ruined because dip$hi7s decide not to listen during brief and screw up the game, then they complain when things don’t work out. Try to divide into your respective teams so the admins can get an accurate headcount and make it easier for commanders to assign squads.

Chrono: The chrono is just as important as the briefing. There is usually a line, so expect another 5-10 minutes to get your gun(s) marked. Make sure you have your goggles on, all your guns, and mags ready to be loaded before you go to the chrono station. Every time you go to shoot your gun, you will need safety glasses on. Most fields chrono with a .25, so try to bring that weight, or at least know what weight you are shooting so they can calculate accordingly. The chrono is pointless if you don’t know what weight BB you’re using. We’re measuring energy, not just speed, and energy depends on mass and velocity.

Debriefing: You’re not funny, and we don’t care about your stories. The debriefing is when everyone is tired, hot, cold, sweaty, smelly, and/or hungry. The last thing we want to do is sit in the blazing sun or freezing cold and listen to your jokes or stories about that one time you shot that one guy near that one tree. Save the stories and jokes for after the debriefing when those with patience or time can give it. The debriefing is for constructive criticism, Q&A, and for commanders to summarize the day or thank their respective teams. Don’t forget to thank the commanders, game organizer, and field owner!

Misc: Clean up and police your area. Do not leave trash from BB bags, food, or drinks laying around. We want to leave a good image for the few fields we have. Don’t forget your field fee. If you accidentally went the whole game without paying, be honorable and pay on your way out. Also, don’t forget that some places only take cash, so go by the bank before you get to the field.

On the Field

Uniform: Don’t wear ACU, the end. But seriously, avoid ACU. Not only was it designed to blend with NOTHING, it doesn’t even fall into one of the two main color schemes that are usually adopted for teams(tan and green). We have reluctantly counted ACU as tan, but problems always arise from friendly fire and misidentifying targets with ACU. Of course, if you are going for an authentic Army loadout, or ACU is all you have, then ACU is what you’ll wear. A less ambiguous pattern, but troublesome still, is multicam. The name alone lends it to fall into both categories. I’m not going to discourage players from wearing multicam, but be aware that it is commonly mistaken as green from a distance, even though we consider it “tan”. For general uniform advice, just make it as obvious as possible what team you’re on. Don’t wear tan headgear, if you’re on the green team. Don’t mix and match top and bottoms. Avoid black, brown, grey, and hunting camo. Don’t wear anything red, or any other color that can be mistaken as a deadrag. Invest $25 in some actual camo before you spend $300 on a gun. Use boots, not tennis shoes. For a more in-depth description of proper uniform requirements, read this thread on what not to wear.

Deadrag: This is just as important as your gun, and should be one of the first purchases before playing airsoft. If you are seen without a deadrag, expect to be treated like a novice player. The deadrag is also your friend and a BB shield. It won’t actually block BBs, but it will hopefully keep players from shooting you after you’re dead. Pulling a deadrag out after being hit will allow players to know that you are dead, because sometimes yelling “hit” or holding your gun up isn’t always enough. Make sure you put it in a place that can be seen from 360 degrees like your head. Be careful to keep it secure, as they have a tendency to fall off while walking to respawn. Also, don’t forget to take it off after you’ve respawned and put it in a place that won’t be seen. I see a lot of players have their dearag sticking out of a pocket, which is enough to confuse other players as to whether you’re dead or not. Some fields may start requiring daedrags for entry, so please take the few dollars it takes and invest in one.

Water: Another important item that is a must, and possibly required at some events, is water. Having water on the field, not just at your car, is a safety measure. If it’s the middle of summer and you don’t have water on your kit, then you might as well be playing without glasses, because it’s just as unsafe. Invest in a camel back, or carry enough bottles in a backpack. It’s frowned upon to ask someone to have a drink from their camel back because you didn’t bring any water. Players are expected to carry enough water for their own needs, not to share with every lazy player that doesn’t want to carry it for themselves.

Extra Gear: There are a lot of things you might need on the field besides your gun. Many new players find themselves running back to the parking lot often, because they fail to bring enough out with them. I might have a slight bias here, seeing that I practically carry an entire toolbox, and enough gear, food and water to last me a day Some items you might find useful to have on the field, so you don’t end up asking someone else for them:

-Extra CHARGED batteries (for gun and optics)
-Allen wrench set
-Multi tool
-Duct tape
-Small/large or large/small adapter
-Energy bar
-550 chord
-Lighter
-Aspirin

Dead Men Talking: This is a rule that every field follows. When you are hit, depending on the rules, you are not allowed to talk (to an extent). The “dead man talking” rule is usually realted to those giving away sensitive information after being hit. An example would be a dead player giving away enemy positions or important scenario intel to friendlies. This does not cover talking about the weather, plans after the game, or non-scenario specific information. There was a situation were I was on the radio trying to meet up with a fellow dead airsofter so we could respawn, and a live enemy player shot me, yelling “dead men don’t talk!”. First off, it isn’t acceptable to inform players they’re breaking the rules by shooting them. Second off, its not against the rules to find your buddy after you’re dead. There are some rule sets that may prohibit talking at all while dead, or limit it to yelling medic, in order to give a more realistic atmosphere. This is dependent on rules and changes per scenario. If you see a dead player giving out information, your team or not, please remind them of the rule. I see it every day, and have to stop dead players from telling me where they just got shot from or where the enemy positions are.

Safety Kill: Only use a safety kill if you come up behind a player, or have the drop on them without a doubt. This means that there is no possible way for him to shoot you before you shoot them. I hate seeing players turn corners or hop bunkers yelling “safety kill”. This is a game focused on shooting players, not yelling at them to die. The safety kill is never to be used as your primary weapon. If you’re premeditating to use it, then you’re doing it wrong. Intentionally running into a situation to use a safety kill that you know is too close for your weapon is unacceptable. Pull out your pistol, support from farther away, or have a teammate with a lower powered gun go in to clear the area. If a player does not honor the safety kill, it is not OK to violate your MED and shoot them. If you are far enough away or have a CQB rated gun, then shooting them is ok. Do remember that some players carry CQB weapons and are prepared to use them in close situations, so if they don’t want to honor the safety kill, then be prepared to get shot. If you absolutely have the drop on them, then it shouldn’t be an issue and they will call themselves out. In the end, avoid using the safety kill. If you have the opportunity to shoot them, then shoot them and avoid any of the possible confusion that could result from a safety kill. I’ve had many incidents where players thought they had the drop on me and tried using a safety kill, but they end up getting shot first. This usually ends in an argument, but I always tell them to shoot me instead of using a safety kill. In my 10+ years of playing airsoft, I can’t recall a single time I’ve had to use a safety kill. If I go into an area that might tempt me to engage close, I pull my pistol. If I don’t have a pistol, I won’t go into those areas. Other than that, I will always shoot before I use a safety kill.

Knife Kill: The knife kill is very similar to the safety kill, in that it should never be abused. Only use a knife kill in those situations in which the enemy has his back turned. NEVER charge at someone head on or from the side to get a knife kill. This is extremely unsafe and unsportsmanlike. If the player has a gun and sees you, and you are charging him to knife kill, you are just asking to get shot too close. It isn’t fair to assume the player won’t shoot either, because that means once you’re within his MED you get a free kill? Is the player with the gun supposed to just let you tag him or go into karate mode and try to tag you first? We aren’t playing tag, we’re playing airsoft. Another piece of advice, don’t go out on the field without an airsoft gun and just expect to knife kill the entire time. Besides the fact that you’re intentionally putting yourself in more unsafe situations, it also makes you look like a complete idiot. Bragging about going out with just a foam sword or battleaxe will NOT put you in the cool kid category. Like I said, players are out there to play airsoft, not LARP or tag. Not carrying a weapon makes you look ambiguous, dead, or possibly a ref, and disrupts gameplay. Of course, role players and other scenario specific players don’t have to carry a weapon if the scenario calls for it.

MED: This stands for minimum engagement distance. This is the shortest distance in which you should ever shoot at someone, depending on the FPS of your gun. These limits are based on the effect a BB has on skin and the potential injury it can cause. There are no exceptions to these rules, even in a CQB environment or safety kill situation. Always be aware of what your MED is for each weapon you carry. A set of standard NCAO FPS limits can be found here. A regular problem with new players is their ability to estimate distances. Most players don’t understand how short 15ft really is, and they tend to call out players when they aren’t actually breaking their MED. On the other end of the spectrum, some players don’t realize how far away 50 or 100ft is, and will engage too close. Please take some time to measure out and familiarize yourself with the standard MEDs, so you are better able to understand these safety rules. Another regular problem is players assuming that every sniper rifle out there shoots over 400fps. There are plenty of sniper rifles that may shoot under 400fps, so never assume that just because they are carrying one, that they have an MED of 50 or 100ft. Also, don’t assume that you know how hard a gun is shooting by the sound it makes, distance it shoots, or pain you feel. Your skin is NOT a chronograph. I’ve seen stock Tokyo Marui guns shooting under 300fps break teeth at 30 feet, leave welts the size of golf balls, or break glass. There is no way you can accurately predict the FPS of a gun without actually taking it to a chronograph. I absolutely can’t stand it when players argue or complain about a gun that they think is shooting hot just because they got hurt when shot by it, or because it sounds loud when it hits their bunker. This is airsoft people, it hurts sometimes, or did you forget because its been so long since you’ve been hit in the skin because you wear real plates and too much gear to ever feel it? Go out and play a few rounds of paintball and I promise you’ll never complain about a hot airsoft gun again.

Confronting Other Players: Eventually you will find yourself in a situation in which you need to confront another player during the game. This could occur from any number of incidents including no-hit calling, unsafe practices, verbal harassment, MED violations, etc. It is important to have an attitude that assumes most players are not purposefully committing these violations and accidents happen. You will look like a complete ass if you end up calling out a player that was not being malicious or intentionally violating the rules. Your concerns will be much more respected if you approach a player with a calm and non-convicting attitude. If you begin the confrontation aggressively, most people will defend themselves and deny your allegations. You also need to consider that you will probably be playing with this person again, and maybe even on the same team. Building a positive relationship with every player will enhance your experience as an airsofter. It is perfectly appropriate to pull you your dead rag and walk over to a player to discuss what you think they are doing wrong. Most of the time the player will tell you their side and you can come to an agreement as to how to handle it. NEVER scream and cuss at another player. These confrontations not only effect the parties involved, but everyone around you. Players become very uneasy around those sorts of arguments and may be discouraged from returning to play with you. If you do not get the chance to confront the player on the field, then you can always find them after the game in the parking area. It is preferred to deal with the situation as soon as possible, so a ref can have the opportunity to make a judgment call if necessary. Coming up to a ref after the game and saying that someone didn’t call their hits does not help. Refs don’t have the power to turn back time and investigate situations, or read minds to know if someone is telling the truth.

Hit calling

Calling Yourself Out:

Calling Others Out:

Part 3: Operating Your Gear 

Selection

What gun should I get?

What kit should I get?

What BBs should I use?

What optic should I use?

Do I need a radio?

What should I carry on the field?

Operating

Hop Up:

Magazines:

Batteries:

Optics:

Communications:

Upgrading 

Part 4: Operating Yourself

Part 5: Operating Others