AEGs: Airsoft Electric Guns

Electric airsoft guns are the most popular type of airsoft gun. They are usually powered by rechargeable batteries, as using non-rechargeable batteries would be exhausted incredibly quickly. The batteries power an internal piston, pulling it back and pushing it forward in order to project pellets. In the case of full automatic guns, this cycling of the piston occurs at a very high rate. A popular acronym for these “automatic electric guns” is AEGs. Most AEGs are modeled after real military weapons, such as M16, Steyr Aug, HK MP5, AK-47, M14, HK G36, and many others.

AEGs can achieve high speeds (of BBs, measured in feet per second) and rates of fire (ROF). High-quality AEGs can have speeds more than five hundred feet per second, and fire more than two thousand pellets per second. In cases like this, drum magazines would be used so clips would not have to be replaced frequently. For a common AEG, a ROF of six hundred rounds per minute and a speed of three hundred feet per second would suffice in an airsoft game. Remember, the faster an airsoft gun is, the quicker it drains the battery (although very fast airsoft guns have larger batteries).

Speaking of batteries, a wide variety of batteries can be used in AEGs. As stated, most airsoft batteries are rechargeable. Batteries are measured in volts (V) and milliampere-hours (mAh), which is a unit of electric charge. A high mAh indicates the battery will last a long time, and a high voltage indicates the battery can support a high ROF. The most common battery used in AEGs is an 8.4V large battery with a 2400 mAh. While 8.4V is the most common battery voltage, some batteries have voltages as high as 12V. For some airsoft guns, regular AA batteries can be used.

Tokyo Marui, the most popular AEG company, designed the basic mechanism used in most AEGs. The mechanism consists of a gearbox which holds three gears, which are powered by an electric motor. The gears turn and pull back a piston against a spring. Once fully compressed, the spring pushes the piston forward, thus forcing the pellet in the chamber out of the barrel. Many airsoft guns utilize metal gearboxes, a feature which prolongs the life of the gun and makes it sturdier.

Many companies, notably Classic Army, have made their AEGs full metal. Not only does this make the gun nearly unbreakable, but it drastically increases the realism of the product. An alternative to full metal is reinforced plastic, which has a similar effect. Other improvements and modifications of an AEG further add to the realism of the device. More importantly, beneficial alterations can increase the functionality and usefulness of a gun. However, noticeably useful modifications are usually expensive.

Automatic electric guns come in all shapes and sizes. While most people think of AEGs as strong and powerful, there are some AEGs that are considered weak. Cheap AEGs known as “Low Powered Electric Guns” (LPEGs) fire at low velocities and are even regarded as inferior to spring airsoft guns. The only reasons one would have to buy an LPEG is because of the price, or that they want a replica airsoft gun that they do not wish to play with. Many airsoft guns are classified as LPEGs when there is a significant difference in quality, range, speed, durability, and price to standard AEGs; also, the term LPEG was made as a way to distinguish these types of airsoft guns from regular AEGs.

A step up from the LPEG would be the medium priced electric gun. Companies like UTG have rebranded and remade low-end airsoft guns to such an extent that they are no longer LPEGs. Another phrase that can be used interchangeably with medium priced electric guns is middle powered electric guns (MPEGs). MPEGs, while still not high end, can be effective in standard airsoft games, and in some cases stand up to high-end guns. MPEGs are much better choices for airsoft than LPEGs because true LPEGs are extremely inadequate and very noticeably substandard to spring airsoft guns.

Logically, the next thing up for discussion is high-powered AEGs. Classic Army, Tokyo Marui, and STAR are just some of the many companies that produce high-end airsoft guns. What criteria are used to classify a gun as high-end? For one, the gun should be very durable, and often the only way to ensure absolute durability is by manufacturing the airsoft gun in full metal (which is one of the reasons high end guns are so expensive). Also, these kinds of AEGs should work well with hi-cap magazines, have a high FPS and rate of fire, as well as have near perfect accuracy, which would be attained by incorporating a hop-up system. Most AEGs, high-end or not (although especially with high-end), are modeled after real weapons, and in the case of high-end guns, the ratio is almost always 1:1.

A relatively new type of AEG is the mini electric airsoft gun. Developed by UHC, mini electric guns are very small, fully automatic, plastic airsoft guns. Despite their size, mini electrics have a good range, can be surprisingly accurate, come with functional hop-up, and can hold fifty to one hundred pellets. They stand up well to spring guns but are not very useful in games where MPEGs or high-end AEGs are being used.

Automatic electric pistols, or AEPs, are surprisingly new. Tokyo Marui, the premier AEG manufacturer, first introduced them in 2005. Although generally less powerful than gas pistols, AEPs are not affected by temperature (gas pistols are). AEPs have the same capabilities as gas pistols, though, and can fire in either semi-automatic of full-automatic fire modes. However, they are much slower, as electric pistols fire at a FPS of between 200 and 225 (gas pistols can reach 300ft/s or more).

Electric blowback pistols (EBB) are very popular yet incredibly cheap. While notorious for low velocities, EBBs are the most realistic of airsoft guns because their slides “blow back” like a real gun. Gas airsoft guns can also have this ability (although they retain a high FPS, unlike electric blowbacks), but spring pistols cannot simulate it. EBBs are not used as much for airsoft games as they are for just playing around or shooting targets. Blowbacks are not classified as AEPs, because by definition, an AEP has a fixed slide (this characteristic helps an AEP retain power for actual shooting). As you can see, electric airsoft guns are very diverse, and it is incredibly easy to find one that suits your needs.