If you are just getting into airsoft, you might have heard the saying, “get the right gun, and everything else will take care of itself.” It is partially true and makes some people overthink their initial weapon purchases. Aside from getting the FPS right, you don’t really need to worry about much else.
For best results, your airsoft gun should be 330 to 400 FPS. This shooting speed is high enough to counter most players in an average airsoft game. Lower speed and higher shooting rate options are also available but not optimal.
In this article, you will learn more about how much your airsoft gun’s speed should be for different games and the FPS for the lowest and highest speed airsoft guns. Towards the end, you will find my suggestion for the best airsoft gun for new players. But first, let’s go over the FPS range of airsoft guns in general.
What Is The Lowest FPS For An Airsoft Gun?
The lowest-speed airsoft guns are usually spring pistols that shoot at 250 FPS at the lowest. In the low FPS range, there are guns that shoot at 300 to 330 FPS on average. All of these are considered slow because the average airsoft player has guns with far superior firing power.
You can play airsoft with slower FPS guns as long as your opponents have guns within the same range. So if you plan to start airsoft with a group of friends who do not have airsoft guns, you can decide to buy low FPS guns. But if you want to join a pre-established airsoft group, you need to have an average FPS gun, if not a high FPS one.
What Is The Average FPS For An Airsoft Gun?
The average airsoft FPS is around 350 FPS, given that the high-speed guns normally used by airsoft players barely reach the 400 FPS mark. Of course, higher-speed guns exist, but they often have diminishing returns.
From 250 FPS to 300 FPS, the speed difference directly impacts the game’s outcome. But from 300 onwards, the improvement in speed doesn’t automatically reflect in one’s performance. Beyond 400 FPS, there’s pretty much zero advantage to a higher-speed weapon in an airsoft duel.
That said, higher-speed projectiles can travel longer distances before losing steam. That’s why you will find many airsoft sniper rifles that have over 500 FPS projectile speed. With pellets sizes getting consolidated, the FPS of an airsoft gun reflects on its ability to span a long distance.
How Many FPS Are Needed For Airsoft Games?
You need 300 FPS for airsoft games unless all players have the same speed weapon. You can technically play with 200 FPS weapons, too, as long as no player has a 250 FPS+ weapon.
Your opponent’s weapon has more of an impact on your gun’s compatibility with the game than the game itself. Still, different games reward the speed of shooting differently. In this section, I cover a few airsoft game types and what kind of shooting speed you would need on average.
Capture The Flag – 270 FPS – 350 FPS
Capture the flag or center flag are two games where players have to work in teams to capture an inanimate object, which is usually a flag. In Classic Capture the Flag games, there are two flags, with each one on each team’s base.
The first team to capture the flag and bring it back to the base wins. Having a higher-speed weapon allows you to take out a player from a distance. The player holding the flag has to drop it if he is shot. So 350 FPS weapons are perfect for this.
But in Center Flag, the first team to get the flag wins. Here the speed of shooting isn’t as much of a winning factor as the team strategy. Anyone with a 300 FPS airsoft gun can win this game, provided that he has the right plan.
Hostage Rescue – 300 FPS
Hostage rescue-style games require getting a human hostage free from a team. This type of game rewards tactical brilliance as much as firing speed. 300 to 400 FPS shooting speed will get you the best result if you’re on the team playing kidnappers. The rescue team can manage with 250 FPS to 300 FPS guns. The happy middle, therefore, is around 300 FPS.
Last Man Standing – 400 FPS To 500 FPS.
Last Man Standing games are also called freestyle or free for all battles. High-speed shooting is rewarded disproportionately, so having the highest-speed weapon gets you the best odds of victory.
What Is The Best Airsoft Gun For A New Player?
The best airsoft gun for a new player is G&G Combat Machine CM16 Raider, as it is easier to aim, light enough to carry with ease, and priced reasonably. It also has a 320 FPS, which is ideal for indoor and outdoor fields, making it quite versatile.
This gun’s best feature isn’t its speed but its compatibility with different contexts. You won’t find yourself shoehorned into one type of airsoft game right away. It might take you a dozen tries to find the kinds of games you enjoy. And you would be able to play them all as long as you use a medium-speed, easy-to-handle gun like the G&G CM16.
With over multiple verified reviews and ratings, it has an average of 4.4 stars. Given that this rating is on a 5-star scale, this is quite impressive and goes on to show that most customers also have the sentiments that I have regarding this gun. More specifically, 90% of the customers have given it 4 or 5 stars. These go further in establishing this product as the best airsoft gun for beginners.
Final Thoughts
Getting started is the most important thing you can do after you decide to get into airsoft. But unless you have an airsoft gun, there’s not much you can do. Instead of getting lost in the spec jumble, you should get any airsoft gun you can afford, provided that it has over 330 FPS.
Do not get a gun that exceeds 400 FPS, as it might not be allowed in an indoor airsoft range, though. Aside from the 330 to 400 FPS range, exercise the same caution and due diligence when selecting an airsoft gun that you would when getting any product.