According to researchers, the first airsoft guns were introduced to the Japanese market around the 80’s. Firearms were not available to the population so those interested in guns had to resort to the only weapons which closely resembled them. Early guns were made of wood and metal which made them very expensive, some years later a new type of gun was invented, one which was cheaper compared to the originals, the first few weapons designed under this concept were quire realistic and even managed to fool expert shooters.
Airsoft guns shoot small plastic ball rounds which were called BB by Asian manufacturers. The caliber varied from model to model. Due to the popularity of this gun type several manufacturers started working on them in order to improve their accuracy, shape and performance, quickly thereafter they started to be used for skirmishing or gaming.
As you might have guessed this is the type of weapon used in paint ball wars (game). The first continent where they were used in such manner was Asia, then Europe and later on America. European countries started to use these guns in an innovative way to combat young gang members, on the other hand American companies started developing and producing such airsoft guns for sports because the guns are realistic and the BB’s don’t hurt as much as 0.5 caliber paint balls.
Because of the non-lethal nature of these guns they are constantly used by military and law enforcement agencies to simulate real world combat situations in order to train their agents. The airsoft weapons which are used and sold to these agencies are not available for sale to the public because they are considered too realistic for people to carry around.
Airsoft weapons are also used in movie sets because they resemble real weapons extremely well, however, this innovation did come with a price, during the early 90’s when the airsoft arms were being used in this industry there were fatal accidents which lead to the death of Bruce Lee’s son after one of these guns was loaded with real rounds instead of blanks.
There are several ways to use these arms, but whether it is for entertainment or any other reason, it is always recommended to have a balanced adult supervising people who carry such weapons as well as studying the laws which explain the responsibilities which come by owning these guns.