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Things to keep in mind when selecting a pistol
POWER
How is the gun powered?
Electric, Gas, Spring
Electric pistols, or AEP's (Automatic Electric Pistol) are manufactured by only a few brands. Most AEP's are produced by cheap brands, perform poorly, and break easier. Their velocity is scarcely 150 fps though they may promote abilities such as fully-automatic fire modes and moving slides. Tokyo Marui is one of the few high-end brands that produces an AEP. The batteries are rechargeable and velocity above 200. However, the velocities are still well below average fps of a gas or spring pistol.
Gas pistols are produced by many manufacturers. There are two classes of gas pistols: blowback and non-blowback.
Blowback pistols have working slides that operate similar to the real pistol.
action
The trigger cocks then releases the hammer. The hammer then hits a valve which releases a burst of gas from the pistol magazine. Some of the gas propels the bb out of the barrel and some gas "blows" the slide "back" or in the opposite direction of the bb. A spring in the slide/barrel assembly is compressed as the slide comes back. The spring then decompresses and pushes the slide forward into resting position. As the slide moves forward a bb is slid off the top of the magazine and loaded into the barrel for the next shot. When the magazine is empty of bb's, the slide will usually slide back and lock signaling that all the bb's have been fired from the magazine and it is time for another magazine to be loaded.
Non-Blowback pistols have fixed slides.
action
The trigger cocks then releases the hammer. The released hammer hits a valve which releases a burst of gas from the pistol magazine. All of the gas released in the burst, propels the bb out of the barrel. The magazines are designed in such a way that the bb is automatically loaded in the barrel path when the magazine is inserted into the pistol. After a bb is fired, the magazine spring pushes the next bb out of the magazine and loads it into the barrel for the next shot.
Blowback vs. Non-blowback
Non-blowback pistols are able to fire more bb's as hard and with less gas than their blowback counterparts. It takes a fair amount of gas to push the slide back on a blowback pistol but blowbacks add a realistic look and feel. Blowbacks also have more moving parts and therefore
take more maintenance.
Types of Gas
Green gas, CO2, Red gas
Green Gas (HFC 22), or propane, is the most common and fairly powerful. The gas comes in cans that use nozzles to fill chambers within a gas magazine. Most guns that are made for
green gas are also compatible with HFC 134a (see below).
CO2, or carbon dioxide, is common as well. The gas normally comes in
a small cylinder that is slipped inside a magazine, then screwed to a magazine valve.
The cylinder opening is blocked off before insertion, and then opened whenever the
cylinder is completely fastened in the magazine. This gas tends to lose power
more rapidly after each successive release of the valve, than Green Gas. Also, the
cylinder may not be removed from the magazine without losing the remaining
gas in the cylinder.
Red gas (HFC 134a), or refrigerant, is less common and less powerful. The gas is
canned and used like Green Gas but the fps is reduced. Gas guns that are intended only
to use red gas should NOT use green gas as a substitute. There are a number of Japanese
pistols to which this rule applies. Follow the manufacturer's directions or the gun is
more apt to break.
Spring pistols (or Springers) are cheap to produce and thus, often the least expensive guns. This cost savings is offset by the fact that the pistol spring must be cocked between each shot, and therefore is comparable to using a bolt-action rifle. These types of pistols are ideal in cold weather conditions. But they are less practical than the semi-auto performance of gas pistols in warmer weather.
COST
How much do I need to spend to get a good pistol?
A decent blowback pistol will run at least $80 - $110
More expensive brands will have a higher grade of internal and external parts. Average prices for a middle to high end gun start around $90 and go up. If treated properly and maintained, a good pistol will last and perform well longer.
Clones -- are cheaper guns that have been manufactured to nearly identical of that of the high-end brand they are cloning. They are often made in China. The gun may appear to be the same as the gun they imitate but the internals are cheaper parts and made with less precision. Clones do not always break down precisely like the real gun and therefore replacement parts are not completely
compatible.
There are far fewer manufactured pistol clones than AEG clones.
More questions to ask:
What materials are the slide and frame manufactured from?
ABS plastic or aluminum are the most common. A plastic pistol will feel a lot like a toy or
water pistol. Though ABS plastic is fairly durable, metal externals have a higher
durability. Heavier aluminum guns are still lighter than the real steel pistols.
What size is it?
A large frame pistol, like a Desert Eagle model, can be cumbersome to move and bring to bear quickly. A smaller pistol will often perform comparably because the barrel lengths are
all relatively short and thus only effective over shorter engagement ranges than rifles.
Guns feel different to each person so overall size and comfort is preferential.
What is the rated fps?
The fps, or feet per second, if listed, will likely be an optimistic number or range given by the retailer or manufacturer under ideal conditions using lighter bb's (0.12g or 0.20g).
What fire modes does it include?
The fire mode is referring to the number of BB's an airsoft gun is set to fire with
a single pull/squeeze of the trigger. Standard for pistols are Safe and Semi-Auto.
But a few models also include a Burst or Full-Auto mode. See airsoft terms,
fire (modes of) for more detail.
Does it have adjustable hop-up?
Some airsoft pistols will have hop-up. Nearly every airsoft rifle produced now
comes with hop-up. A hop-up device applies pressure to the bb in order to create
a back-spin. In short, the higher the hop-up, the more back-spin and higher the
trajectory. The bb will make an arc after it leaves the barrel. Hop-up can be
adjusted to suit various bb masses and engagements. A fixed hop-up means that the
back-spin force applied to the bb is fixed. An adjustable hop-up allows a player
to tune the gun to fire the bb in a nearly straight trajectory for a distance
before dropping. High-end pistols will have an adjustable hop-up but more
manufacturers are incorporating it into pistol designs.
What magazines come with it?
Any airsoft gun purchased from a retailer will include at least one magazine. Depending on the number of rounds it holds, carrying more magazines is usually desirable. Pistol magazines are
more particular to the brand and model of the gun so be sure that additional magazines are
compatible with it.
What accessories are included?
Cheaper pistols will likely come with more accessories to make the package more appealing. These accessories are often as cheap or cheaper than the rifle. Often it is better to purchase quality accessories separately.
Does it come with bb's?
A related topic, there's little point in ordering a nice pistol if there is no ammo with which to shoot.
Gas Pistols only
Does it come with gas?
If ordering a gas pistol, gas will be required to power the gun. Most places sell the guns without gas but may offer packages that will include gas with the pistol.
What type of gas does it take?
If gas needs to be ordered separately, make sure it is of the right type to suit the pistol.
Do your homework
Look for gun reviews
Do your homework on the pistol you want to get. Search the web for reviews. Forums can be very useful for this. Beware of biases in your research as they may skew your results.
Ask questions
Ask experienced players about the gun. If it is similar in style to that which another player uses, ask if you can shoot a few rounds and get the feel for it. Ask the retailer any questions that are not answered in the description.
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