Airsoft Guns vs. Real Guns: Which One Should You Choose?
By: Saief Shams
Tags: Airsoft, Airsoft Guns, Self Defense Weapons, Home Defense, Guns

There are tons of types of guns…it really just depends on how specific you want to get. But basically, there are three main types of guns, whether it’s an airsoft gun or a real gun:

Pistols or Handguns, Rifles, Shotguns.

Why should you get a gun?

Now, this is the real question. You should only get a firearm if you absolutely need it. For example, if you own a jewelry shop, you need to keep a gun in your store in case of robberies. Or if you think your house is vulnerable to invasions, you need to get a gun for home defense. If you are likely to be attacked by someone, if there’s a threat to your life, you need a gun to defend yourself.

Or you can take your gun to the range and shoot some targets, do a few drills if you are really into that sort of stuff.

An airsoft gun, however, is basically a replica of a real gun. They are a special type of low-powered air guns designed to shoot plastic BB’s (ball bullet). The main purpose of an airsoft gun is airsoft sports (like paintball). It can also be used as a movie prop because airsoft guns are made very realistically.

Some people, including the military, use airsoft guns for real firearms training. It’s a very helpful way to get familiar with firearms. Once you get the hang of it, you can switch to real guns.

Deciding which type of gun you should get:

If it’s the question of self-defense, home defense, or protecting property, obviously the answer is a real gun. The ideal choice for this particular reason is a pistol or shotgun. I’m not here to tell you exactly which model to buy, but I will give some examples as starting points.

Before you purchase a firearm, get a firearms license. Always purchase guns from a licensed firearms dealer.

Shotguns are very widely used as defensive weapons. Because a 12-gauge shotgun firing a 00 (double-ought) buckshot shell throws 12 lead pellets at a single time, towards the target. And these pellets actually don’t spread that much at close range, so good luck getting away from that shot Mr. Robber!

If you’re considering to buy a shotgun for defensive measures, get a pump-action or a semi-auto.

Personally, I’m in love with the Benelli M2. It is the best overall semi-auto shotgun. A lot of people even use it in competitions. But if you're looking for a budget shotgun, go for the Mossberg Maverick 88 pump-action or the Mossberg 930 semi-auto. The 930 is basically a low-cost version of the Benelli M2.

Mossberg 500 and Mossberg 590A1 Tactical are also good options for the pump-action category.

Photo by Derwin Edwards from Pexels

Pistols are more effective as a self-defense weapon because shotguns need two hands to operate, and they are longer in length compared to a pistol, making them harder to move around in some situations. However, pistols require a set of precision skills to shoot effectively. But pistols are more compact and easy to carry, and they can be shot with one hand.

I recommend the Glock 17. Yes, Glock pistols don’t look good but they have an awesome grip. Or, you could get the Smith & Wesson M&P 9. It is one of the best overall handguns available today. Actually, there’s a great debate out there between these pistols. Although, the M&P 9 has a slightly better trigger than the Glock 17.

You can also go for the Canic TP9 SF Elite. This pistol is also used in competitions because of its high rate of fire and light trigger.

The must-have attachment for your home or self-defense weapon is a light. You don’t want to be shooting someone you love in the dark or reveal your position to the bad guy by shooting in the wrong direction.

If you’re into plinking, you can choose a pistol, a shotgun, an AR-15, or a sniper rifle, if you like marksmanship. Here’s a list of some guns which you can shoot all day at the range:

Pistols:

Shotguns:

M16 AR-15 Rifle

AR-15’s:

If you want a gun just for fun, you should get an Airsoft gun. Hey, you can team up with your friends and shoot each other all you want, and nobody’s gonna die. What could be more fun than that?

As I have mentioned before, the concept and gameplay of airsoft sports are very similar to paintball, but it is much more realistic. Airsoft guns shoot 6 or 8 mm plastic bb. Mainly, there are three types of airsoft guns:

AEGs (Automatic Electric Guns): AEGs are built mostly based on the AR-15 or SMG platform. Electrically powered airsoft guns use a spring-based system like spring guns. But instead of manual operation, they use a motor to compress the spring and shoot the bbs. They are more powerful than the gas-operated guns and they are usually the most accurate. If you are new to airsoft and looking to buy your first gun, I recommend you to get an AEG. Automatic electric guns allow you to lay down a consistent, accurate line of fire until your clip runs out or your battery dies. Don’t worry, the batteries are rechargeable and they last for a very long time. CZ Bren, Lancer G2, and E&C Guns are some good options to consider. GBB’s (Gas Blowback guns): There are 3 types of gas used in GBBs: Green Gas, CO2, and High-pressure Air (HPA). Green gas is like propane but without the smell. You can load green gas directly into the magazine of your green gas-operated gun. CO2 guns take small canisters filled with compressed carbon-di-oxide. HPA guns run on compressed air tanks. HPA guns are highly adjustable, but you will always have a tank and line connected to you which means added weight and the line can get snagged on objects when you’re running around. You still require a battery to power the system and the tanks need to be filled regularly. If you are looking for a gas-powered sidearm, my recommendation is a Green gas-powered gun. Because green gas is less powerful than CO2 so less strain on the internals, and it’s easier to load in the field. Spring Guns: Spring airsoft guns are powered by a spring-loaded piston mechanism that needs to be manually racked before every shot. Spring-pistols are the most common type of spring airsoft guns, but spring rifles are also available and widely popular. Maximum sniper rifles out there are spring-powered. But if you are a beginner, I don’t really recommend you to buy a spring-powered pistol or sniper rifle. Even though it seems fun, it will cost you a lot of time on the field, and as easy as it is to run a sniper rifle in a video game, in reality, it is not so easy at all.

Some airsoft guns are really cool replicas of collectible guns, ranging from sci-fi weapons as seen in movies and video games to historic weapons from World War I and World War II. There’s even a replica of Taran Tactical’s Combat Master pistol which was used in the movie John Wick. The real one is quite expensive, so if you want a collectible gun to showcase, Airsoft is the ideal choice. You can check out the airsoft version of Combat Master 2011 here.