Airsoft

Airsoft is a "sport" in which participants eliminate opponents by hitting each other with spherical non-metallic pellets launched via replica firearms called airsoft guns. Since airsoft pellets do not mark their target and hits are not always visibly apparent, airsoft relies on an honor system in which it is the duty of the person who has been hit to call themselves out regardless of whether or not anyone saw it happen.

Gameplay varies in style and composition but often range from short-term skirmishes, organized scenarios, C.Q.B. (Close Quarters Combat), field, military simulations (MilSim), or historical reenactments. They are played in some indoor courses, and outdoor (fields). Combat situations on the battlefield may involve the use of military tactics to achieve objectives set in each game. Participants may attempt to emulate the tactical equipment and accessories used by modern military and police organizations.

History

Airsoft originates in Japan. Airsoft guns spread to the UK in the late 1980s and early 1990s with a company called LS. The guns were sold in pieces and had to be assembled before they were capable of firing pellets. Airsoft equipment was designed to closely emulate real guns. Since the mid-1980s, airsoft guns have been adapted with a purely recreational application in mind, and the sport is enjoyed by all ages. Airsoft replicas are produced globally, with the majority being manufactured in Asia. Many law enforcement agencies in the US use Airsoft for force-on-force training drills.