There are very easy ways to modify airsoft M4's to behave like an AR-15 by removing/prohibiting select fire. There are several available on the market now which function EXACTLY like real AR-15's and M4's, they're called Professional Training Weapons and are made by Systema, Celsius, and a new company G&D. These PTW's have a functioning bolt catch and when the last round is fired from a magazine the bolt locks back so it must be released before you can fire the next shot after a reload. All of the PTW's are nearly identical internally to real steel AR-15's as they have a split design where the cylinder is in the upper acting as the bolt and the gears in the lower where the trigger mech would be. Other than recoil, they're about as realistic as it gets because they're programmed with trigger response accurate to real AR's and rate of fire as well.
Prepare to pay roughly $1300 for said PTW firing at ~330 FPS. Most events limit you to ~350 FPS when you chrono. Alot of playing fields have a range of engagement for long guns out to 50 ft or so. Gotta use an airsoft pistol or rubber knife to engage closer or in structures.
Your information is a bit off. PTW's can be had as low as $550 and at a max of $2,300. Most events chrono at 400fps with .20g bb's and minimum engagement distances vary depending on the FPS said gun chronos. You can actually chrono lower or higher (to an extent) at most events. For example 400fps allows you to shoot full auto with an MED (Minimum Engagement Distance) further than 25ft. Less than 25ft with 400fps would require a sidearm. Now let's say your gun is setup for the designated marksman position, it might be allowed to go as high as 475fps with a 75ft MED, or maybe 100ft. If you're a sniper/scout then you might be able to go as high as 600-650fps with a 100ft MED and anything inside of that MED would require a sidearm or secondary weapon. Now for most CQB facilities and games, you are required to be at/below 350fps with .20g bb's and the MED is 0 but semi-auto only. Meaning you can shoot point blank.
Also, some events that run 400fps in fields, don't require an MED at all but require you to switch to semi-auto for close engagements.
It depends on how you're using the Airsoft replicas and what your goals are. Some people are having a lot of fun playing tag with them, and there is nothing wrong with that. Some use them as an economical choice for force on force training to learn and practice tactics with live adversaries that you can't do with real guns. The latter requires that the participants immerse themselves in the scenarios and drills for it to be of real use, though.
The whining of the motor is louder than the poof of air exiting the barrel. And no, most airsoft guns just look like their real counterparts. Their motor being in the pistol grip, operating a gearbox assembly in the receiver portion that pulls back a piston in the upper portion. A BCG is non existant, usually just a facade with the charging handle doing nothing but popping open the dust cover.
Regular electrics are different from the gas operated versions which provide a "blowback" feature to simulate movement of a bolt to provide a sense of recoil. They're a tad louder being that they use green gas.
Edit: airsoft rifles are not made to spec. Usually an upper from an airsoft will not fit onto a real lower due to the differences. Also they're mostly made of zinc metal....not good to handle any amount of the pressures of a real firearm. You're better off making a zip gun than trying to turn one of these into a firearm.
Open up an airsoft rifle and they look nothing like their real counterparts. Its a rediculous notion to believe the anti gun community saying these could be used to be made into real rifles.
Yes, those guys like Systema make their internals look like a real steel M4. I've seen one up close. They are hilariously expensive and in my opinion, defeats the purpose of having a cheap practicing tool over the real thing. If you have a thousand plus dollars to burn, get a real rifle. A lot of other Airsoft Companies like Toyko Marui are making their own electric power rifles with simulated recoil, where the bolt locks to the rear and you need to manipulate the bolt catch. But as I said, these things are hilariously expensive for the purpose.
Airsoft is fun for when the friends are over. Allows for backyard skirmishes without worrying about paintballs damaging anything. Plus, they don't leave the bruising and are cheaper than paintball.
I never did get why people dress in full tactical gear during airsoft though? Seems really goofy to me.
It is fun in the back yard/woods for sure. My kids play and it is nowhere near as messy as paintball however they bruise like crazy! At least the guns my kids use. Full face shield is necessary as well as a heavy sweatshirt if you do not want to get stung bad. I agree with you full tactical gear is just for kids who wanna look cool
Beats playing Call Of Duty by a longshot.Certainly Airsoft/paintball came from a real need by LE and Military enact realistic training without using blanks and miles gear to accomplish it. and that is were Sim munitions came in, still dangerous and you definitely know when you get hit. I have spent a considerable amount of money on tactical gear over the years and put a lot of stock in it, because my life depended on it. That being said I do not understand the parents and or the individuals willingness to spend that much so they or their children can play Army. I also don't understand some of the rules they use to govern it. Solely you are playing war so there are no rules besides you getting hit and acknowledging that you are then dead or wounded until you can recover from the injury if possible.
The hopes I have for Airsoft/paintball is that it funnels individuals into actual firearms that might have never gotten into them otherwise. Weather that be hunting, sporting/competition or just fun shooting.
Rob
Yeah, but they've got a helicopter.... Skip to 3 minutes in.
I'm sorry but that's just ridiculous and lame. If they want to play soldiers that badly then might as well join the armed forces!