Information on Upgrading Airsoft Guns

Airsoft has become a very popular "extreme" sport across the country, rivaling the popularity of paintball. Like paintball, it is played by shooting small pellets (not filled with paint, in this case) made of plastic at the other players. When they are hit, they are "out" until the next match begins. Airsoft is played with three different types of weapons: gas-powered or Gas Blowback guns, Automatic Electric Guns or AEGs and spring guns. AEGs easily lend themselves to upgrades; Gas Blowbacks and spring guns, although relatively limited in their upgrade ability compared to AEGs, can still be modestly upgraded from their stock versions.

  1. Abilities

    • First decide whether or not you have the skills necessary to upgrade your own AEG. AEGs contain quite a few small, electric moving parts and it can take a steady hand, the proper tools and an inclination toward mechanical repairs to successfully upgrade your own AEG. You will need to have access to a basic set of tools, including a set of small screwdrivers, paint, sandpaper and the proper replacement parts.

    Identification

    • There are many makes and model of AEGs, and some are much easier to upgrade than others. There are also many areas in which to upgrade your airsoft gun. Do you require more power for a longer distance shot? Would you like your gun to carry more ammunition or fire at a faster rate? Making this basic determination will help you determine which parts you'll have to purchase and which tools you'll need to install them. If you're not sure of the upgrade you'd like to make, ask an airsoft professional for their opinion.

    Benefits

    • Upgrading your airsoft gun can yield many advantages in the field. A larger magazine or even an electrically powered drum magazine can increase your ammunition capacity by threefold or fourfold. If upgrading to an electric magazine, make sure you know if it will run from the battery inside the AEG or if it requires its own external power source. Upgrading the gearbox inside an AEG by changing the stock box for a box with a tighter gear ratio can significantly increase your rate of fire. If you choose to upgrade your gearbox, a high capacity magazine is also recommended, as you will be using ammunition much more quickly. Adding a scope or laser sight to your gun can improve your aim from a distance.

    Gas Blowback Upgrades

    • Gas Blowbacks are not designed to be easily upgradable. They have delicate internal parts that must be precisely aligned to operate both the firing mechanism and the other moving parts in the gun, typically the slide and the hammer. However, the type of gas that is used in the gun can be changed for a more compressed and stronger gas. Doing this--using the higher-powered "red" gas instead of the lower-powered "green" gas--will result in a more powerful shot that travels a longer distance.

    Spring Gun Upgrades

    • Upgrading a spring gun is the most difficult upgrade to make. They are lower quality than the others and can be extremely difficult to disassemble, let alone upgrade. It's oftentimes wiser to consider purchasing a new airsoft gun when thinking of upgrading a spring gun, as the upgrade can often cost as much as the gun itself. If you must upgrade your spring gun, however, there is generally only one component that can be upgraded--the spring. Using a tighter or "stronger" spring can increase the velocity of the gun.