page_title: Airsoft gun
section_title: Training weapons
hierarchical_section_title: Airsoft gun / Types / Training weapons
caption_attribution_description: English: An airsoft gun made by Celcius Technology (Hong Kong). This model is a replica of the M4A1 and has a G&amp;P Trijicon ACOG scope.
context_page_description: Airsoft guns are replica weapons used in airsoft sports. They are a special type of low-power smoothbore air guns designed to shoot non-metallic spherical projectiles often colloquially referred to as "BBs", which are typically made of plastic or biodegradable resin materials. Airsoft gun powerplants are designed to have low muzzle energy ratings and the pellets have significantly less penetrative and stopping powers than conventional airguns, and are generally safe for competitive sporting and recreational purposes if proper protective gear is worn.
  Depending on the design mechanism for pellet propulsion, airsoft guns can be categorized into two groups: mechanical, which consists of a coil spring-loaded piston air pump that is either manually cocked or automatically cycled by a battery-powered electric motor gearbox; and pneumatic, which operates by valve-controlled release of prefilled bottled gas such as compressed propane mixed with silicone oil or CO₂ canisters.
context_section_description: Airsoft gun manufacturer Systema Engineering (PTW) developed a line of airsoft guns and accessories intended for military and law enforcement training. These airsoft guns are made of aircraft-grade aluminum combined with stainless steel parts that gives strength, stability, weather protection, and easy maintenance.  These training weapons offer a more realistic display of military weapons. Unfortunately they have been plagued by reliability problems and parts availability.  They have also had models banned from the US for being capable of being converted into real firearms.  Two manufactures, King Arms and KWA, came out with ATF-approved gas blowback AR-15 replicas that allowed for correct weapons tear down, manipulation and function that were designed for military use, but were also legal for US citizens to own. The King Arms model required upgrade parts out of the parts to give it reliability, though the KWA was plagued by a weak hop-up system, but otherwise reliable.
  In November 5, 2018, the United States Coast Guard, which has long used the .40 caliber SIG P229 as its duty sidearm, announced that it will acquire the SIG ProForce P229 CO₂ airsoft pistol (which was then produced under brand licensing by French airsoft manufacturer CyberGun, before SIG later ceased external licensing and took over the production in early 2019) as its new training pistol to give cadets and guardsmen the ability to practice gun handling, conduct target practice in various environments, and train in realistic force-on-force scenarios.
caption: An airsoft gun made by Celcius Technology (Hong Kong).  This training weapon model is a replica of the M4A1 and also has a G&G Trijicon ACOG scope replica.
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