Paintball vs Airsoft

Stuck deciding between Paintball and Airsoft? In this post we're going to discuss and compare the differences between Airsoft and Paintball and how exactly the two sports differ.

Definitions

In both sports the main objective is to eliminate the opposition via ammunition shot from your gun/marker.
Paintball Definition  Paintball is a sport where you can either compete in a team or alone, the objective is to eliminate players by shooting them with paintballs which are propelled via a paintball gun. The paintballs will then "tag" the player via the water soluble dye that is inside the gelatin shell.
Airsoft Definition  Airsoft is a team sport with a defined set of goals. Players will shoot plastic BB's fired via replica firearms to eliminate opponents to complete the objective. Unlike paintball airsoft has a honour system in which players must admit when they have been hit.

Equipment

Paintball Equipment New players often assume there first purchase will be a paintball gun (marker). In actual fact you should always purchase your paintball mask/goggle first. It’s THE most important piece of kit a paintball player can own. Other equipment such as a gun, hopper, tank, paintballs etc can come later. Check our our paintball mask buying guide and what's the best paintball gun for a beginner? blog posts for guidance.
Airsoft Equipment Players will start out with an Airsoft gun, BB's and eye protection. The level of eye/face protection can vary site to site however the vast majority will recommend full face especially for children. There is a vast array of equipment available for airsofters and the flexibility allows players to be as basic as jeans and a t-shirt to a fully kitted out solider.

Guns

In both sports players will start out with a gun within their price range, then accessories and upgrades can be added to improve accuracy and performance.

Paintball Guns A paintball gun consists of a barrel, hopper and air tank. Paintball markers can be either Electronic or Mechanical both shooting paintballs in unique ways. For further information on the differences check out our Electronic vs Mechanical markers blog post. Paintball guns use one of two propellant's (either co2 or High Pressure Air (HPA) to power a firing mechanism which pushes a ball out of the front of the paintball marker via a barrel.  For more information check out our blog post - The differences Between CO2 and HPA.

Airsoft Guns Airsoft guns are powered by electric, spring (where the gun can be cocked) and gas - either CO2 or green gas. The most notable difference between an airsoft gun and a paintball marker is the realism in airsoft, and this opportunity to play with something realistic is a big draw for many airsoft players. Airsoft players can use either full imitation firearms or 51% two tone guns due to law and the weapons used tend to be focused on military simulation. In the airsoft community the use of RIF and IF will be paramount. A RIF is an imitation firearm which has an appearance that is so realistic as to make it indistinguishable, for all practical purposes, from a real firearm. Whereas a IF is a firearm that is coloured to make it easily distinguishable - generally in bright colours. The weapons used can range from assault rifles, sniper rifles, pistols to revolvers and mini guns. From the 2nd of May 2017 the act of Airsoft and Policing & Crime was introduced. This is worth a read before purchasing a gun - https://www.ukapu.org.uk/ukapu-and-ukara-briefing-on-commencement-of-pca-firearms-provisions/

Ammo

Paintball Ammo As mentioned previously paintball uses paintballs as ammo. Interestingly despite being called 'Paintballs', they are not actually filled with any paint.They contain a mixture of ingredients that are easy to clean off once a player is hit. As a general guide the more expensive the paint the more brittle it will be. However to use high grade paint we would advise using a high end paintball gun. For further information on paintball grades check out our 'Different Grades Of Paint' blog post. For tips on storage check out our "How To Store Your Paintballs" blog post. A box of 2000 paintballs will cost around £23.00+ check out the paintballs we stock at https://www.bzpaintball.co.uk/paintballs

Airsoft Ammo Airsoft players use BB's. These BB's are made from plastic and usually measure around 6mm in diameter. BB's can weigh anything from 0.12-0.48g however the most popular are 0.12, 0.20 and 0.25g. Lighter BB’s will achieve greater speed, however on the flip side will lose this speed quicker than heavier BB’s. The lightness can also be easily influenced via factors such as wind decreasing accuracy. Heavier BB’s have a higher momentum making the hit of the BB harder. Accuracy may also be increased due to the weight. It's always best to look at the fps to see which ammo will suit your gun best. Unlike paintballs BB'S will not break when hitting an opponent, relying heavily on players to admit they have been hit. A big draw for airsofters is the low price of ammo compared to paintballs, with BBs being up to 75% cheaper.

 So Paintball or Airsoft... The choice is yours.

Check out - https://www.bztactical.co.uk/ for your airsoft needs. 

If you have any questions or suggestions don't hesitate to email us at [email protected].