If you’re getting interested in tactical battle games, one of the options to consider is Airsoft. But don’t let the “soft” in Airsoft fool you. Airsoft guns aren’t harmless and definitely not painless.
Airsoft can hurt if you’re not wearing appropriate protective clothing for tactical games. The gun shoots a plastic pellet that has a sting with little to no afterache. An airsoft guns can cause stronger pain if used on a vulnerable area or in close proximity.
But does that mean you shouldn’t play Airsoft? No. You just need to know the ache, the age, and the alternatives, alongside the protective equipment for the game. And this article will cover all those factors. By the end of this post, you’ll know how painful an airsoft gun can be, which areas of the body hurt the most in an airsoft battle and what extra gear you need to protect yourself. Let’s get started with the mechanics of airsoft guns.
Airsoft Guns: How They Work
Airsoft guns are loaded with plastic pellets that are shot with a burst of air. The pressure-launched projectiles, therefore, have the potential to hurt. The guns come in different FPS capabilities.
FPS is the Feet a gun’s projectile can travel per second. The slower an airsoft gun’s FPS, the less it will hurt. One of the lowest FPS guns is the A&K Dragunov, but it, too, can cause internal bleeding when hurt.
From Airsoft to paintball, the FPS of the gun relates in the same way to the pain it can cause. The drawback of using a low FPS gun is that it can miss the mark since targets are moving. If you aim at the center of your friend’s vest, knowing he is fully protected and he moves and gets shot in his wrist, he will feel more pain.
How Painful Is An Airsoft Gun?
An airsoft gun is just as painful as a bee sting, though its pain subsides quicker than an insect bite. Airsoft games require protective clothing that eliminates this pain, but the pressure of the hit can still be felt, making cheating at Airsoft pretty hard.
In games where the impact can be hidden, one can dodge the tag by pretending not to be hit. But when you’re hit with an airsoft gun, especially in mid-tier proximity, your body reflexively shifts upon contact. This shift discloses to the players that you have been tagged.
If you’re afraid of getting seriously hurt in the game, you should not play with people who might have malicious intent. They can specifically target unprotected parts to maximize pain and then pretend to have done it unintentionally. It can also help to know which parts are most vulnerable in terms of pain.
Which Body Parts Ache The Most In Airsoft Battles?
Ears hurt the most if hit by an airsoft gun. Fingers and toes can also ache much more than the rest of the body, especially during cold, but they are less likely to be targeted. Your mid-region is the biggest target and, fortunately, better protected by your airsoft clothing.
To avoid extreme pain, you have to get two products: full-finger gloves and ear protection. These can help you dodge the extra sting, especially when you’re fighting with strangers you can’t trust to have empathy.
Airsoft is a game where empathy can get in the way of victory. A competitive spirit can override friendship and empathy in the heat of the moment, which is why you should always go into the field well-protected.
What Level Of Protection Do You Need?
You need to have an airsoft vest, eye protection, and a face cover at the bare minimum. These protect you from accidental shots and give enough safe space for friendly foes to tag you without harming you. The less you trust your opponents, the more protection you need.
Aside from a protective vest and thick pants, you need ear protection and gloves to avoid extremely painful shots. Only hostile opponents target these areas, so these are important when you’re playing with petty people.
Best gloves for an airsoft game:
- Reebow Military Tactical Gloves – One of the highest-rated protective glove pairs on Amazon. It offers the flexibility and mobility required to pull the trigger. With over 1800 reviews and ratings, this glove pair has a global collective average of 4.5 stars on a 5-star scale. You can wear these gloves for almost all gun-tagging games.
- Wtactful Tactical Gloves – These gloves are versatile and can be used for airsoft games, biking, and weight lifting. They are also touch-screen-friendly, which makes them great for pumping iron while listening to music. They have over 6200 reviews and ratings on amazon, averaging 4.6 out of 5 stars.
- Wtactful Rubber Guard Gloves – These gloves offer full hand protection and feature a handy rubber guard that can minimize the impact of airsoft pellets on the outside of the hand.
Best Ear protection for an airsoft game:
- HK Army Goggles with Thermal Lens – This piece of protective equipment rolls eye protection, face cover, and ear protection into a single product. It has over 431 reviews and ratings on amazon, and they collectively average a 4.6 out of 5-star rating.
- Carbon Paintball Carbon Full Head Cover – This full-head mask and goggles cover doesn’t leave the ears exposed or semi-protected with mesh like the average airsoft masks. More importantly, it looks cool due to its sleek black appearance.
- Valken MI-7 Thermal Lens – Often used in paintball, this eye protection equipment provides a hard shell cover for the ears as well. It has over 600 reviews and ratings with a global collective average of 4.5 stars on a 5-star scale.
Airsoft Vs. Alternatives
By now, you know that if your exposed skin gets tagged with an airsoft gun, you will feel a sting. And you also know that Airsoft isn’t the only tactical game of its kind. In this section, we will explore the alternatives but only from the perspective of pain.
Airsoft Vs. Paintball: Which One Hurts More?
Paintball hurts far more than Airsoft and requires far more consideration than Airsoft because of that. Still, Airsoft is not a pain-free game, and you need protective clothing that can shield you from pain.
Ironically, paintball hurts more, but its players wear lighter protective equipment. The reason behind that is the paintball guns’ relatively higher impact rate. To avoid getting caught with multiple projectiles, paintball players wear lighter gear so they can be quick on their feet. So when they get hit, they hurt more on two fronts: the projectile speed/weight and their own light protection. For more information on this, check out my post on airsoft vs paintball pain.
Airsoft Vs. BB: Which One Hurts More?
BB guns hurt more than airsoft pellets because BB ones are made from metal. With intent and proximity, BB guns can be deadly when aimed at an unprotected individual. Airsoft is the least painful physical tagging gun for tactical sports.
So now you know that of all guns that shoot a projectile, the least painful ones are the airsoft guns. But is it okay for kids? Keep reading to learn more and to find a 100% pain-free alternative gun-tagging game.
Airsoft And Age: Who Is Airsoft Appropriate For?
We have different pain thresholds at different points in our lives. That’s why the key to having a good time while playing airsoft games is to adopt Airsoft at the right age.
Airsoft must be played by adults over the age of 18 years. The minimum age limit is set to promote the responsible use of airsoft guns which kids and teenagers might mishandle and hurt their peers. Moreover, kids and teenagers might not be able to handle the pain caused by Airsoft.
Let’s spell it out for the readers who might skim past the explanation above.
Is Airsoft Okay For Kids?
Airsoft is not okay for kids as they are likely to feel more pain. More importantly, kids might not handle their weapons with the required level of care and may harm themselves or their peers during an Airsoft game.
Should A 13-Year-Old Get An Airsoft Gun?
A 13-year-old should not get an airsoft gun as the gun has a serious potential to cause harm. If the gun is pulled in a fight or in anger, someone might get seriously hurt. That said, teenagers with sufficient protective clothing will not get hurt by an airsoft gun.
Should A 12-Year-Old Get An Airsoft Gun?
A 12-year-old should not get an airsoft gun because he can hurt himself or others with it. Most 12-year-olds cannot handle the pain caused by the airsoft pellet to the exposed skin.
What Is A Pain-Free Alternative For Kids/Teenagers?
Kids and teenagers should play Lasertag, which allows remote tagging of opponents without actually involving a physical projectile. It also teaches them to aim at their opponents’ vests instead of exposed skin, which is a good habit to carry into airsoft games.
The Best Practices For Playing Airsoft Safely
In this section of the article, we will cover the best practices of airsoft safety. Use these as your guiding principles to avoid getting hurt when playing Airsoft.
Play At The Right Age
The easiest way to avoid pain is to avoid playing Airsoft. Kids and teenagers should stay away from it. In many states, airsoft game centers don’t even allow teenagers to participate in these games. Play airsoft if you are over the age of 18. And if all your peers are over 18, then you are less likely to hurt yourself.
Play Airsoft With People You Trust
This is a key contributor to your safety. If your airsoft opponents aren’t malicious, the only way you can get hurt is by accident. But if they are actively trying to cause pain, then you might need so much protective gear that the game might become less fun and more exhausting.
Have Harm And Hurt Rules
You can make the game a little less fun and more secure by having harm and hurt rules. The more extreme rule would be that the individual who hurts anyone by hitting exposed skin loses. But that wouldn’t cover accidental hits.
That’s why a three-strike system can be implemented. And the players who are moved out of the field after being hit can be called back after the malicious player is proven malicious and removed.
Avoid High FPS Guns
If everyone uses 300 FPS guns, then you can avoid making the game any more painful than it has to be. Under 300 FPS makes the guns inefficient, which is why it is very difficult to find airsoft guns that shoot at a speed lower than 300 feet per second. This practice, however, must be adopted by the entire roster. If only you use a 300 FPS gun, you protect others. But there is no way for you to be protected in return.
Wear Sufficient Protective Equipment
Relying on others for protection isn’t practical anyway. That’s why you should take charge of your own safety and wear appropriate protective gear. Heavier protective equipment can reduce the pain you feel when you get hit.
But they can also make you more likely to get hit. You have to be quick on your feet in a game of Airsoft, and heavy equipment hinders that. Ultimately, the choice is yours.
Have Proximity Firing Rules
This would not be accepted by most Airsoft rosters, but if you’re the one arranging a game and everyone is a first-timer, you can set proximity rules where shooting distance can be set at a specific minimum.
This can keep people from shooting in close proximity where the gun can hurt. However, there is a practical reason for close-proximity shots: they are harder to dodge. Whether you can convince your friends to give up this advantage for higher collective safety depends on your persuasion skills.
Final Thoughts
An airsoft gun shoots a plastic projectile with a burst of air. Different guns have different shooting rates and consequent pain. But none of them should be handed to a kid or a teenager. Airsoft games are for young adults and require responsible weapon handling and appropriate protective equipment.