Airsoft vs Mother Nature(And more)

[Mad Dog]

Hello there,
well first off, i'm pretty new to airsoft(Hence this being my first post) and i still have a few questions that remained un-anwsered. The most important question i have in mind is: Can airsoft be played under all temperature/weather, and what types of gun/rifle may be recommended for restricted uses under certain weather. Thanks in advance for your time and patience with a newbie to the sport!

[Andres]

There are many partial answers to those questions, example uno would be "Can airsoft be played in the rain"

A thread on the subject'd be here:
http://airsoftcanada.com/showthread....t=airsoft+rain

and another: http://airsoftcanada.com/showthread....t=playing+rain

[Tankdude]

Can airsoft be played under all temperature/weather

Quick answer is yes with a but. Some batteries don't like it getting too cold and gas guns don't have the power at lower temperatures. Also some gas guns become over powered at higher temperatures. This is just a quick answer.

types of gun/rifle may be recommended for restricted uses under certain weather.

An AEG with a decently large battery is good for all weather. The only problem is some people report the cold (really cold) affecting the life of an upgraded gun.

As for me I use a stock TM M14 with a 8.4v 2400 mah battery and I can play anytime of the year.

[Donster]

AEG can be used in all kinds of temperatures. gas guns on the other hand only work in mild to warm weather. if its too cold, the gas wont expand enough and you get a drop in velocity.

[Hades]

or the gas just pissing outta the mag

[Greylocks]

If you think about how airsoft guns are made, like AEGs, it will answer a lot of questions:

Battery powered electrical motors and mostly plastic and light metal construction. Or using compressed gas. Or using spring power alone.

Add cold and water to that mix. What do you think can happen?

-battery failure
-electrical systems failure
-corrosion
-metal fatigue
-brittleness of the materials
-gas guns will not work due to the temperature

Check our Information section, then the Teams and Events sections to find what goes on near where you live. Then, honestly, go see in person. Thank me later after you've gotten to see, ask, and try.

[MADDOG]

Originally Posted by Mad Dog

Hello there,
well first off, i'm pretty new to airsoft(Hence this being my first post) and i still have a few questions that remained un-anwsered. The most important question i have in mind is: Can airsoft be played under all temperature/weather, and what types of gun/rifle may be recommended for restricted uses under certain weather. Thanks in advance for your time and patience with a newbie to the sport!

Nice user name!

Imitation is the best form of flattery!

MD

[DarkAngel]

from my personal exp, gas guns dont work well in cold weather at all.
AEGs have batt problems as well (so make sure they are fully charged etc)

I remember a game i went to in brampton. my m16 seized on the first shot of the game (since the aeg was exposed to cold for about 30 mins b4 the game started and the batt didnt have the power to cycle the gun) so i pulled out my pistol and charged up the middle hoping to at least be a distraction so my teammates could flank them. Pop Pop Pop, on the third shot, my valve locked open and all my gas emptied. All everyone sees is a big Cadpat guy in the middle of the field, with no primary, and a gas pistol with a huge cloud of white gushing from the slide. At this point, i pulled out my rubber bayonette and charged XD

needless to say it ended painfully for me XD

[Sha Do]

Originally Posted by DarkAngel

from my personal exp, gas guns dont work well in cold weather at all.
AEGs have batt problems as well (so make sure they are fully charged etc)

I remember a game i went to in brampton. my m16 seized on the first shot of the game (since the aeg was exposed to cold for about 30 mins b4 the game started and the batt didnt have the power to cycle the gun) so i pulled out my pistol and charged up the middle hoping to at least be a distraction so my teammates could flank them. Pop Pop Pop, on the third shot, my valve locked open and all my gas emptied. All everyone sees is a big Cadpat guy in the middle of the field, with no primary, and a gas pistol with a huge cloud of white gushing from the slide. At this point, i pulled out my rubber bayonette and charged XD

needless to say it ended painfully for me XD

....and hence forth I have a trusted bolt action. It has never failed me in any weather condition, unless the inner barrel gets to damp from a heavy down pour or really thick fog (resulting in a reduced effect of the hop up on the BB), but this affects AEGs in the same manner. But alas, not many players have the paitents nor skill to utilize a BA effectivly.

The effects of cold weather on all electronics also applies to the batteries. They work fine....they just drain quicker.

The real issue with the cold weather is indeed the resulting damage caused by an upgraded spring slaming the piston head against the front of the mech box. A stock mech box will not survive long with an upgraded spring (higher than 350 fps) in temperatures below -10c, unless you restrict yourself to very limited semi fire only....even then it's not advisable (trust me, you really don't want to have to keep dishing out coin for mech boxes).
On the other hand, a reinforced mech box (such as a Systema 7mm reinforced box) with a stock spring will easily survive short full auto bursts at temperatures down to -18c....for as long as your battery has go go.
But you have to remember that the colder it is, the more brittle the cheap pot metal (which mech boxes are made of) becomes.

Just keep cleaning you airsoft after each game religiously by wiping them down of moisture, removing all sand and dirt, and store them in a dry area free fom humidity, and they'll last a life time. And if you are storing them for any length of time, remove all bateries from add ons such as RDS optics, etc..

SHA DO

As a note; Many years ago we had a noob camp at Flag Raiders. It was held on a weekend in Febuary, with the temperatures bouncing between -10 to -15c (wind chill and so on), and everyone was dressed accordingly. I was a very fun and productive day, but when it was finally done, over eighteen (18) AEG's had bitten the dust because the fronts of the mech boxes had cracked, or broken right off!
Tru suddenly had a large group order, and Gump had too much work....

[Mad Dog]

Alright, so i suppose this gives me a good idea. I'm still with bolt action, so i won't have the AEG problem. I'd rather go through a few games before going through buying a more expensive(and better) rifle.

Thanks a lot

[Amos]

The cold will horrendously effect a hopup rubber's effectiveness.. (almost voiding it entirely)

[Greylocks]

Originally Posted by Mad Dog

Alright, so i suppose this gives me a good idea. I'm still with bolt action, so i won't have the AEG problem. I'd rather go through a few games before going through buying a more expensive(and better) rifle.

Thanks a lot

Go try different guns before settling exclusively on bolt action. That is not a great choice for all players because it has it's own limitations. So go see and try first.