The Physics of Airsoft

Every long weekend, my friends and I like to play Airsoft. Similar to paintball but much cooler, Airsoft is a game in which guys use replicas of assault rifles to shoot bbs at each other in military skirmish games. We play at an Airsoft place at Kaneohe Marine Corps Base. We play in a variety of fields, such as grasslands, forest, and close quarter battle fields. An Airsoft gun is an example of several physics concepts. My gun, and SR 16 M4 Carbine shoots bbs at upwards of 380 feet per second. As the bbs fly, they become a projectile, eventually hitting the ground unless they hit a person or bunker due to gravity. Although the bbs are small and light (0.20 grams), it stings to be shot by one. This is because they are traveling at a high velocity. Some people, like Preston, prefer to use 0.25 gram bbs. Theses bbs go a little slower as they resist the force of the gun more, but they go in a straighter path since they are less susceptible to air resistance. They also hurt more on impact as they weigh 25% more than 0.20 gram bbs. (Photo Credit: Robert Moran)