No, but seriously.

I've played paintball for a couple of years before discovering airsoft, had a lot of fun playing paintball, but the first time I picked up my MP5 and stepped out onto the field, I realized they're two completely different sports.

Paintball is more focused on individual actions, and just spraying anything that moved with paint. It wasn't a real military simulation by anymeans of the imagination. Yes, you wore camoflauge (some of you), but that was about it. The guns weren't realistic. And please spare me the politically correct crap that's take over the industry. Markers? Please. I still remember the day when my Tippman was a Gun, and the Master looked like an M16. The only reason was the term was switched from "paintball gun" to "paintball marker" was to reassure middle class suburban and generally left leaning parents that their 15 year olds weren't playing with guns. Paintball is also reletively cheap to get into, figure you spend about 100, 150 bucks (or your parents do if you're that 15 year old, which is what a huge proportion of paintball players are) to get a good gun (sorry, it's a gun. It shoots a projectile. Deal.) and maybe another 50 or so on a mask and whatnot. It is however, very, very expensive to play. Figuring that a case of decent paintballs will run you 75 bucks, and to play on a managed field will run you about 10.... Ammo expenditure is insane, with quite a few players going through a hopper full a game (200 rnds at around 15 to 30 minutes) which translates to around a case or 3/4's of a case a game. Accuracy is out the window, with the main focus, especially with stuff like SpeedBall is to hurtle more paint at your opponent than he's at you.

Demographics: Teenagers from 13-20, most with either parent support or some form of minium wage jobs.

Guns range from 50 to 200 for the average.

Paint Cases range from 70 to 120.

For the record I own a Tippman 98 equiped with a 14 inch barrel. It cost me in total around 250 bucks.

Airsoft. I've been playing Airsoft for about... 3 months now, but have been following the hobby for around 2 years. My first airsoft gun was a Springer, a Sig P229, and my first -real- gun was a Tokyo Marui MP5sd6 and Glock 18c. They were shortly followed by a TM M4 and a TM Tactical Master.

Airsoft has a fundamental basis on being a true military sim. You get decked out in your Army of Choice fatigues, usually US issue because it's avaiable, but I've got an awesome set of Swiss "Alpenfaus" for the fall, and then put on your wargear of choice. My team uses a lot of Blackhawk Tactical Vests, which run from around 125 too 200 depending. I'm using a standard H harness and a commonly available tac vest that you can get at Sunny's for 30 bucks. It's cheap, and effective. So after you get geared up, you pick your teams, figure out what sort of game (mission) you're going to have, and then you go at it. The missions are ususally "objective capture," but we have done "advance to contact," "down pilot" and "sniper hunt" (though, inadvertantly as it was) scenarios.

Games usually last around half an hour, with certain memorable games lasting up to an hour and a half, which emphasis on teamwork, coordination, communication via radio, and other military tactics such as suppressive fire, leap frogging and the like. It's far, far more realistic militarily speaking (well, more real than just about anything with exception of maybe, warfare). The rush you get after a good day of Airsoft beats any drug... Well, maybe not effidrine (I know I spelled it wrong). Just kidding on tha one... Heh, heh. Seriously, I am having far more fun airsofting... Plus I don't have to wash my cammies everytime I play (eeew).

Ammo is cheap, 15 dollars per bag of 3000 rnds of high quality biodegradle stuff, and that'll last you atleast a day, depending on your ammo consumption. The initial investment however, is beyond measure. My MP5 and Glock 18 cost me in the area of 700 bucks to get. I purchased it from DEN Trinity, and had a very pleasant experience. This stuff's expensive folks, far too expensive for the 15 year old son of a middle class suburban slightly left of center yuppie.

That's another point. These are 1:1 scale replicas. They've got copyrighted trademarks, and they must have orange paint around the barrel. Well, to be within accordance of the law. However, the average maturity level is such that we're smart enough not to be waving this stuff around in public. You die that way.

Demographics: Average age is from 25 to 40, with the average person having some prior military experence, but not always. Most of the Airsofters have full time professional jobs, and are making good money.

Guns range from 200 to 400 dollars depending, while most will cost you atleast 300 to get it shipped over from Japan or Hong Kong where they are made.

Ammo's cheap, see above, but note the use of expensive, and -real- BlackHawk Gear and other gear that was made for use by SpecOps and SWAT teams.

So that's that. For the record I'm 20 years old, have a full time job and play on average of twice a month.

I hope that brought a bit of light onto the subject, and am willing to entertain questions....

Stay cool out there,

Kevin

That's about the most intelligent well thought-of response to why we don't play paintball that I have ever seen. It needs to be carved in stone for all to see.

Thank you very much, but I also want to give thanks to you guys out in Cali and the Cimmerians, for showing us (atleast, in my opinion), what an airsoft team should be.

Still cool,

Kevin

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~ Reality Knight
Virginia Rangers
www.virginiarangers.com

1. I play in a woods with my friends. The lack of seeing each other among the bushes, trees, and grass prevents us from shooting alot. Thus, using less ammo. We go through on averyage 500 balls a day per person. Airsoft still wins in the ammo department, because I will admit, that is a great price for 3000 of whatever those things are. But, When you play right, Paint isn't used to the extent to which you speak of. Now, in speedball it's like a storm, but hey, who likes speedball? :-)

2. The gun aspect is alot different. In my personal opinion, I don't want to be a SWAT agent who puts his life on the line. It's just not the kind of person I am. Therefore I refuse to pretend to be one. The guns do look different, but who cares? They shoot... Very accurately if you use the right gun with the right upgrades. They are compact.. Cept for tippman but we'll go there another day.

3. More people play paintball. It's more widely spread. if I decided I wanted to play airsoft, I'd have to go out back and shoot a tree.

4. I like paintball better because it's my personal preference.

I think it all comes down to #4. That's just my opinion tho. :-)

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--Wingy:-þ
News Editor
www.3dretreat.com

Here's the truth:
Both paintball and airsoft have players who shoot large quantities of ammo with little or no skill. In fact this should be an argument against airsoft. A full auto AEG cost around $350 including battery and hi-cap mag (more on this later). Almost everyone playing airsoft has a full auto gun. Full auto paintguns however cost $1200 for the gun and motorized 300rd hopper and nitro/compressed air (both of which you need to go full auto). Most paintball players use guns that shoot semi-auto only. Also paintguns use hoppers that hold 200-300 paintballs and some players carry extra tubes of paint (usually 400 balls max). An airsoft hi-cap can hold 300-600 BB's (not to mention drum, box, and c-mags that hold 2000) and an airsoft player can easily pack 2 extra hi-cap mags without even being concerned with bulk or weight.
True there are airsoft players who stick to the standard 60rd mags. But there's also stock paintball players who use 10 ball tubes and carry only 10 tubes on the field.

As for the age issue, both airsoft and paintball have their share of teens and middle-aged players. But who cares. I've seen 14 year old kids that act more mature than some 50 year old people. Judging by this forum alone 16 year old Falcon seems more together organized and unbiased than 20 year old RealityKnight. I could be wrong but who cares.

Sure one is more real than the other, but who cares. If I wanted to be a real marine I would have gone down to the recruitment office after high school. You're not going to be part of SWAT, SeALs, Rangers, Delta Force or whatever else just because you have a tactical vest. If you play airsoft because you like to have fun than you have the right attitude. But if you're playing because you're trying to be a Navy SeAL than you need some better perspectives on life.

I think the most intelligent statement in this forum so far is Falcon's comment on the two sports sticking together. Face it, if one goes so does the other. If some kid gets hurt because of an airsoft accident then both paintball and airsoft will be in a bad spot. The same goes for anything that might happen with paintball.