BB guns are something you're all fairly familiar with but how many of you know anything about airsoft guns? The biggest mistake most gun fans make is to look at airsoft guns as just being toys. This is so far from the truth. The huge range of airsoft guns, rifles, pistols, shotguns and fully automatic machine guns offer a huge amount of fun and entertainment for anybody who wants to get involved. Even if you're a hardcore gunhead you'll still get a kick from airsoft weapons.

Gun crime is an increasingly worrying problem internationally. This has led to a total backlash against weapon owners of all kinds. This has been taken to extremes whereby liberal parties have started imposing more and more rules on what types of weapons people can own. There is the common misunderstanding that anybody interested in weapons has violent tendencies - this couldn't be further from the truth. Appreciating the beauty of a replica firearm is no different to appreciating the lines of a sports car or admiring a piece of modern art. Airsoft guns haven't been around long but they've gathered a large following and are dominating the replica weapon and toy gun markets. So if you're always wanted to own your own Desert Eagle or M4 rifle then airsoft offers both a safe and fun way to do this.

Standard BB guns fire a small lead pellet which can cause considerable harm when used by a skilled marksman. Unlikely to kill a human bb guns are used to hunt small rodents on farms all over the world - to great effect. Now not every gun enthusiast wants to go hunting. Maybe they just like the look and feel of a particular pistol or rifle. Airsoft guns are ideal for this type of gun fan. Airsoft ammunition is also non-lethal. Instead of a lead pellet a standard airsoft guns fires a 6mm plastic pellet that weighs between 0.12g and 0.20g. The heavier weights provide added accuracy. Do bear in mind that even though these pellets are plastic they can and do hurt when they hit you so never fire an airsoft gun at anybody unless they're wearing suitable protective clothing. The level of pain is on a par with being hit by a paintball.

There are many different types of airsoft guns available. There are spring powered, gas powered, gas blowback and also finally the electronic type of airsoft gun - also referred to as AEGs. Many of the popular modern weapons are available in airsoft models. For example you can buy a Glock, Desert Eagle, Uzi, AK47 or CAR 15 gun for less money than you probably every imagined. You can even go as far as buying an airsoft minigun - if you have that kind of money.

Airsoft guns provide a novel and interesting hobby for people from all walks of life and for all budgets. You don't need to spend a fortune getting started and believe me these guns really are great conversation pieces.