Key Differences Between Paintball and Airsoft Equipment

Photo: Muhammad Taufik

Have you ever contemplated taking up a combat game as a new hobby? Competitive shooting games provide players with an opportunity to live out their PlayStation shooting games in a safe and fun environment. Playing these competitive games provides players with an adrenaline rush and a sense of fun with a group of friends. At the same time these games are also great exercise!

When it comes to paintball vs airsoft, each game has its own thrills and its own die-hard followers. Read on to learn the differences between the two, and which one should be your choice of adrenaline rush.

Basic Definitions

Before you decide which game you’d prefer to try out, it’s important to know the difference between the two.

Paintball

This popular sport involves players competing as teams or individually. The main objective is to eliminate opponents from an opposing team by shooting paint-filled capsules at them. These capsules are called paintballs and break upon impact. The device used to propel these paintballs is called a paintball marker.

Airsoft

The key difference with airsoft is that round nonmetallic pellets are launched from replica firearms. These replicas are copies of actual firearms. The pellets that are being “shot” from these replica weapons also don’t contain any paint.

Paintball Equipment vs. Airsoft Equipment

When it comes to equipment, each game has its own equipment items that are required to comply with game rules. Let’s look at what the differences are:

Paintball

The game of paintball requires the following

–       Paintball marker: Also called paintball gun, this is the gun used to shoot the paint from the hopper.

–       Paintball facemask: This mask is designed to protect your face from incoming paintballs. A player can get a mask that covers the face only or a mask that covers the neck and top of the head as well.

–       Hopper: A hopper is a paintball container that attaches to the marker

–       C02 or compressed-air tank: This tank powers the marker and provides the force for the paint capsule to be launched at the opponent.

–       Paintballs: These are pint filled capsules which need to be filled with what’s referred to as “field paint only.” These are usually purchased at the game facility on the day. This ensures that the correct paint is used.

Airsoft

The requirements for airsoft are not as extensive as paintball because of the lack of paint. The basics needed are listed as:

–       Airsoft gun: This is usually a replica of a real firearm or a brightly colored two-tone gun. Sometimes the two-tone guns are used for practice.

–       Eye protection: The most common eye protection is goggles similar to safety glasses. Some facilities require players to use a full face mask for safety purposes.

–       Airsoft pellets: These spherical objects are more commonly referred to as “BBs” among airsoft players. The most common sizes of these metal BBs are 4.5mm or 4.6mm birdshot rounds.

Endnote

If you’re new to combat games, it’s important to review the rules and requirements of each one. If you have the time, you might like to try your hand at both. That’s the easiest way to decide whether you’ll be better at paintball or airsoft. While it may not be the most extreme sport, it is quite a rush. The important point to remember is to have fun, include your friends and kick some butt!

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