The numbers game

Do you know the FPS of your airsoft guns? I'm pretty sure anyone that owns their own AEG or other airsoft gun has taken an interest in the speed at which their gun propels the BB down the barrel, whether it makes any difference to to your game is another matter, but some people are hell bent on taking the gun right to the limit.

The limit at most airsoft sites in the UK is 328 feet per second on a .20g BB. Some sites allow a variation of 5% on this limit, and will technically allow a gun firing up to 345fps to be used. Exceptions are commonly made for single, or bolt action, rifles, commonly used for sniping, due to the low rate of fire and relatively long range they are used at. The level of exception varies between sites, ranging from 400fps to up to 500fps mostly dependent on the size of the site and the terrain it encompasses.

Of course, this is all fundamental stuff, any experienced airsofter will know this inside out. It's drilled into you at briefings and any online discussion you care to broach the subject on. We all know the rules and we are happy to recite them given the opportunity. The thing is, do we practice what we preach?

Everyone knows a few tricks that will get a hot gun through a chrono, and it's easy to abuse the trust placed in you by site management, but excuse the cliché, it's not big and it's not clever. Thankfully, most don't.

Just remember, 345fps is the upper limit, it's not a target to hit. If you are aiming for anything, try and hit 328fps and keep things fair and honest.