Airsoft Guns

If you’ve seen the iconic movie A Christmas Story you’ve heard the phrase "You’ll shoot your eye out." For those of you who haven’t seen the movie, here’s a quick recap. Nine year old Ralphie wants a Red Ryder bb gun for Christmas, but his overprotective mother, school teacher, and even the mall Santa Clause keep denying him his prized bb gun by saying "You’ll shoot your eye out."

While this story is clearly fictional, if you’ve ever read airsoft forums you know this is still a common dilemma. There are plenty of kids out there whose parents won’t let them get their airsoft gun or airsoft sniper rifle because they have misconceptions about airsoft in general. If you’re one of those airsoft enthusiasts, here are 10 tips to help you get the airsoft gun you want this holiday season:

1. Airsoft is Not Dangerous

Airsoft is less dangerous than paintball. Airsoft bb’s are shot at a much lower velocity than paintballs, and their mass is a lot lower so they are less dangerous when they hit you. Standard bb’s can’t penetrate skin or damage internal organs.



Tip: Explain to parents that an airsoft skirmish is actually safer than doing common chores like cutting the grass.



2. Wide Range of Airsoft Safety Gear

Faces (especially eyes) are the one place that are susceptible to injury when playing airsoft, but there is a lot of airsoft safety gear out there to choose from to protect yourself. If you hit a sale you can get airsoft safety glasses for under $10, and goggles or full face masks for under $20. But it doesn’t stop there. Basically, if you name it they make it for airsoft players- everything from helmets to gloves to knee pads to vests. For more information on staying safe, check out our airsoft safety articles or the Airsoft Megastore TV Channel.



Tip: Make a list of the airsoft safety gear that you’ll need to play and include that on your holiday wish list so your parents know you’re taking the sport seriously.



3. Orange Safety Tips on Airsoft Guns

If your parents have heard news stories about people with airsoft guns being mistaken for criminals with real guns and being shot by law enforcement officers remind them that in all of these cases the person with an airsoft gun was either committing a criminal act, did not obey law enforcement officers when he/she was told to put the gun down, or had removed the orange safety tip that distinguishes it from a real gun.



Tip: Promise your parents that you will leave the orange tip on to ensure your safety.

4. Responsible Airsoft Play

For whatever reason moms seem to think that giving an otherwise good kid a bb gun will suddenly lead to them shooting cars, animals, and unarmed people- getting them in trouble with the law.



Tip: Remind your parents that you will only fire your gun in suitable areas and only shoot at airsoft targets and other outfitted players.



5. Airsoft is Very Affordable

A lot of parents assume that airsoft guns and ammo are expensive, but they really aren’t anymore. Depending on what kind of gun you want to carry, and how much safety equipment you’ll be wearing you can get started for as little as $200. For a full rundown of what to expect in the way of price when getting started read the full article "What does it Cost to Start Playing Airsoft?"



Tip: Instead of just asking your parents for any airsoft gun, consider researching an individual discount airsoft gun and asking for that gun to illustrate how affordable airsoft can be (plus, then you stand a better chance of getting the exact gun you want).



6. Airsoft is Mess Free

Some parents don’t know the difference between airsoft and paintball guns so they might assume you’ll come home covered in wet paint splotches or that the backyard will be riddled with bright paint when you’re done.
Tip: Tell your parents to rest assured that you won’t ruin your clothes or the make a mess in the house with paint.

7. Airsoft is Legal in All States

Airsoft guns are legal in the U.S. so they don’t have to worry about you getting in trouble for owning one.



Tip: Some states have special laws banning the discharge of airsoft guns within city limits or requiring that guns be a special color so check your local laws to make sure you are abiding by all regulations. The more informed you are the easier it will be to convince your parents that you can be responsible with an airsoft gun.



8. Airsoft Guns Aren’t Real Guns

Because airsoft guns are used by the military and police forces for training operations, parents may think that the guns are more realistic than they are.



Tip: Show them that the guns are not real guns and that they are not firing large dangerous projectiles. This may seem silly but sometimes parents just need to see it with their own eyes. If you have a friend with an airsoft gun ask him/her to help you demonstrate this to your parents.



9. Airsoft Friends & Teammates

Sometimes parents imagine their child getting an airsoft gun and running around alone shooting things and wreaking havoc.



Tip: Remind your parents that all over the country there are people of all ages getting together for airsoft skirmishes so you’ll be making new friends and maybe even developing long-term teammates. If your parents routinely tell you to stop playing video games and go outdoors and play you can remind them that an airsoft gun will help you to be more active playing outside with other kids.



10. Airsoft can be a Rite of Passage

At the end of A Christmas Story Ralphie finally gets a bb gun for Christmas because his father had one when he was Ralphie’s age. While 9 years old may be a little young for a rite of passage it’s common for 13-16 year olds to get something like an airsoft gun to signal that they are growing up.



Tip: If you think you can work this in your favor, try positioning your request as a rite of passage into manhood. Your dad just might cave.

About the Author: Mike Zhang is the President and COO of Airsoft Megastore, an online airsoft retailer offering a huge selection of affordable airsoft guns, including high-powered airsoft sniper rifles. Please visit Airsoft Megastore to shop for airsoft AEGs, full metal airsoft rifles or the right airsoft gas gun for players of any experience level.

Labels: about airsoft guns, airsoft 101, airsoft christmas, airsoft safety

Technically speaking, parallax is the visible displacement of an object when viewed from two different, nonlinear points. The first time I first encountered this phenomena was with an old-school viewfinder camera as a kid. The view finder (i.e. the window you look through to take the picture) and the actual lens of the camera are located in two separate points so what you see in the viewfinder, isn’t necessarily the photograph you actually take. What you see, and what the lens “sees” are actually two different perspectives. This same visual discrepancy can affect your target practice if you use a high-power scope with your airsoft gun.

You may have noticed parallax before but dismissed it as the scope being out of focus. Parallax occurs whenever you move your eye slightly off-center to the edge of the exit pupil, the tiny aperture in the optic device where light passes through, making the cross hairs seem to move across the target. This illusion indicates that the parallax setting is not properly set for the distance you are aiming. When set correctly, the cross hairs should sit still, properly centered on target.

Why should you care?

If you aren’t using a "target" or a "varmint hunting" airsoft rifle scope, you probably shouldn’t care all that much about your parallax setting. You simply don’t require that degree of accuracy. If you spend a lot of time in target practice, however, or have a sniper role on the field, this simple setting is important.

Where do I adjust the parallax?

You can find the parallax adjustment ring on most high power scopes (i.e. power of 12 or higher) at the end of the scope’s objective bell (the part of the scope closest to the target.) Usually these rings feature suggested settings, but as you become more familiar with your airsoft firearm and scope, you can perfect the parallel adjustment and significantly improve your shooting performance.

Quick steps to adjusting your parallax…

• Secure your rifle - preferably on a shooting rest with vise


• Zero in your scope so that it's properly sighted in


• Determine your shooting range and dial in the suggested setting on the parallax adjustment ring


• While looking through the scope, shift your eye back and forth, checking for perceivable cross hair movement


• If you can identify movement, slightly adjust the setting until you have eliminated the illusion

When you have determined the perfect setting, mark the scope’s adjustment ring so that you can easily find the setting again. I recommend using something non-permanent, like white out, as you may not have the setting 100% perfect just yet.

About the Author: Mike Zhang is the President and COO of Airsoft Megastore, an airsoft retailer offering electric and gas powered airsoft guns. Please visit Airsoft Megastore to shop for airsoft AEGs, full metal airsoft rifles or the right airsoft gas gun for players of any experience level.

Labels: airsoft 101, airsoft optics, airsoft scopes, what is parallax