What Is a Gas Airsoft Gun: The Definitive Guide

You probably already know that there are different types of airsoft guns, mainly gas, electric, and spring guns. Before you decide to buy one of those, you need to know about these different types, how they work, when are they a good choice, and when should you opt for another type. In this article, we’ll go deep into gas airsoft guns, which are a very popular choice in airsoft.

Let’s dive in.

What Is a Gas Airsoft Gun?

A gas airsoft gun is a semi-automatic or fully automatic airsoft gun that uses gas as a power source to shoot airsoft pellets out of the gun. There are a couple of gases that can be used to power the gun, most notably green gas and CO2. Gas-powered pistols are a common choice for a sidearm.

These guns are the second most popular type of airsoft guns, following electric airsoft guns. But, there are use cases when gas guns are much more popular than even electric guns. Most notably, gas-powered pistols are more common than automatic electric pistols (AEPs). Therefore, they’re a great option for a secondary weapon.

Even though rifles are common, pistols are also widely used in airsoft, mainly as a sidearm. The airsoft pistol has its advantages over rifles, so having them as an option is usually a good idea. They’re especially useful in close-quarters battles and tight spaces because they’re small enough and let you easily move around with them.

And that’s where gas airsoft guns are most commonly found. When it comes to pistols, gas pistols are far superior to AEPs. However, there are also good gas options when it comes to rifles, sniper rifles, and submachine guns.

Gas-powered guns are usually semi-automatic, although there are automatic models. If you’re not familiar, automatic guns are those that shoot constantly as long as the trigger is pulled and only stop when you release the trigger. On the other hand, semi-automatic will shoot only once when you pull the trigger. You’ll need to release the trigger and pull it again for a second shot.

What Is an Airsoft Gun in General?

Airsoft guns are essentially replica guns that closely resemble real-life firearms, at least in looks. Although they look close to the real firearms they replicate, airsoft guns shoot small (6 mm in diameter), round, plastic pellets that generally aren’t dangerous (as long as the safety rules are followed).

This makes them the optimal choice for games in which real-life combat is simulated. For combat enthusiasts, the realism of airsoft guns makes them a far better option than something like paintball, which is similar in concept, but far less realistic.

What Are the Different Types of Airsoft Guns?

The three main types of airsoft guns are spring, electric, and gas airsoft guns. These types of airsoft guns differ in the power source, as well as in the mechanism that shoots the pellets out of the barrel. Each of the three types has certain characteristics, pros, and cons that you should take into account when deciding what airsoft gun to buy.

In a nutshell, electric airsoft guns have a battery, a motor, and a gearbox, in addition to other parts. They use electricity from the battery, hence the name. The motor drives the gears to pull back a piston which shoots out the pellet from the gun. For beginners, automatic electric guns (AEGs) are probably the best choice as their first gun.

Another popular choice is gas-powered guns. They use compressed gas to propel the airsoft pellet out of the barrel. They are probably not as beginner-friendly as the AEG, but they’re very realistic and can be a great option for a secondary weapon. Gas guns can use many different gases, including green gas, CO2, and HPA.

If you want to learn more, check out this definitive guide to the differences between electric and gas airsoft guns.

Spring airsoft guns are cheaper, but far less practical than both electric and gas guns. That’s because you have to manually cock the spring gun after every shot. This makes their rate of shooting much slower. Spring airsoft guns were the first airsoft guns invented, but today they’ve fallen out of the favor of airsoft players. However, they can still be commonly found in airsoft sniper rifles. They may also be useful for target practice.

How Do Gas-Powered Airsoft Guns Work?

Gas-powered airsoft guns have a gas cartridge with some kind of compressed gas inside them. When you pull the trigger, a certain amount of the compressed gas is released from the gas cartridge. The released gas flows through the barrel, providing momentum to the airsoft pellet and shooting it out of the gun. If the gun has a blowback feature, then some amount of gas will be used to create a recoil, which adds a realistic touch to the gun.

They’re named that way because they use gas as the source that powers them (contrary to electric guns, which use rechargeable batteries). Some of the gases that are used are green gas, CO2, propane, red gas, and high-pressure air.

Pros and Cons of Gas Guns

One of the biggest pros of gas-powered airsoft guns is their realism. They’re the type of airsoft guns that let you immerse yourself in the experience better than other types. Their weight dispersion is much more similar to real weapons compared to any other type of airsoft gun.

Gas-powered airsoft guns that have a blowback feature are even more realistic. The recoil effect adds an additional layer of realism. Generally, gas airsoft guns are preferred among people who want the airsoft experience to be as close as possible to the real thing.

One of the disadvantages of gas-powered guns is that they’re not as cost-effective as other types of guns. This is because even after initially buying the gun, you still need to buy gas cartridges in order to use the gas guns. If you’re playing often, these expenses may quickly rack up. And it gets even worse if the gas has a blowback feature since gas will be used not only to propel the BB out, but also to retract the slide.

In comparison, electric airsoft guns are powered by rechargeable batteries. When they’re drained, you just need to recharge the battery for your next airsoft battle. And electricity is clearly far cheaper than buying gas cartridges or canisters.

Also, with gas guns you’ll need to carry CO2 canisters or bottles with green gas with you on the field, because the gas in the gun will eventually exhaust. In comparison, an electric airsoft gun with a full battery will likely last longer.

Another disadvantage is that gas-powered guns tend to perform worse in cold weather. This is because gas can freeze in cold weather. On the other hand, gas-powered guns are probably better than electric guns in rainy conditions.

What Are Gas Blowback Airsoft Guns?

Gas blowback airsoft guns are gas airsoft guns that have a recoil upon firing, similar to real firearms. The recoil, along with the louder sound of blowback guns make gas-powered pistols much more realistic.

In fact, gas-powered guns are probably the most realistic type of airsoft guns. And since many people love airsoft in large part due to the realism, gas-powered guns are very popular.

However, blowback gas guns use much more gas than non-blowback gas guns do. This is because gas is needed both to propel the pellet out of the barrel, but also for the recoil. Non-blowback guns use guns only for the former.

Also, blowback guns have more moving parts, which means a higher potential for breaking. Indeed, blowback guns do break sooner in comparison to their non-blowback counterparts.

What Is Green Gas for Airsoft?

Green gas for airsoft is a type of gas used by some gas-powered guns. Green gas is a mix of propane and silicone oil. It’s sold in bottles, from which you will pour green gas into the gun magazine. It’s probably the most popular choice for a gas-powered airsoft gun.

How Long Does Green Gas Last in an Airsoft Gun?

An 8oz can of green gas may last between 600 and 1000 shots, depending on the airsoft gun and the temperature. Green gas is generally more cost-effective compared to CO2 since a can will cost between $10 and $20, and last quite a lot. If you want to save even more money, you can instead use propane, which is far cheaper than both green gas or CO2. All you’d need is a propane adapter, as well as some silicone oil.

Another advantage of green gas is that you can easily refill the magazine. Regardless of how much gas you have left in the magazine, you simply top it off when you can. On the other hand, to refill a CO2 gun you’ll need to change the whole CO2 cartridge, which may not be completely empty.

Green Gas vs CO2 for Airsoft

CO2 gas is usually found in small CO2 cartridges. These are inserted whole into the pistol magazine.

Green gas is stored in bottles, and you fill it in by “pouring” it from the bottle into the magazine. It’s stored at a lower pressure compared to CO2 . Green gas consists of propane and silicone oil (which lubricates the gun when you’re shooting)

Although it varies widely, airsoft guns powered by CO2 tend to shoot with a higher velocity compared to those powered by green gas. In fact, some CO2 pistols may not even be allowed on an airsoft field due to their power, so always consider that when buying a gun. You don’t want to buy an expensive airsoft gun and find out that your usual airsoft site doesn’t allow it.

While more powerful, CO2 airsoft pistols may be easier to break compared to green gas pistols. This is because of the higher pressure, which although makes them more powerful, also makes them less durable.

A potential problem with green gas pistols is that you cool down when shooting many times in a row. Due to this, CO2 pistols are a much better choice for automatic shooting. CO2 is also less affected by the cold weather.

Green gas pistols are usually more compatible with HPA (high-pressure air), if you decide to go in that direction.

Another thing you need to consider is what you’ll do after you’re done shooting. With green gas pistols, you should pour a little bit of green gas into them before storing them instead of leaving them empty. Contrary, you shouldn’t leave a cartridge with some CO2 inside the gun.

How Much Do Gas Guns Cost?

The prices of gas-powered airsoft guns, as well as any type of airsoft guns, vary widely depending on the quality, material, power, and similar. Generally, gas guns have comparable prices to electric guns. You can find good gas weapons in the range of $150-$250. Above that are high-quality gas guns. Essentially, it will cost as much as you’re willing to spend.

But it’s not only the price of the guns that matter. Another important thing is the recurring costs which are needed in order to use the gun. This is where using gas-powered guns gets costlier compared to other options. Buying gas canisters can get expensive quickly if you’re a regular airsoft player.

When it comes to the cost of different types of gas pistols, once again, the prices vary widely depending on the quality. Still, green gas pistols and CO2 pistols generally have similar prices. That’s also the case for the price of green gas and CO2. Usually, you’ll spend similar amounts whether you use CO2 cartridges or green gas bottles. If you want to save some money on gas, propane is cheaper than both green gas and CO2. However, if you go with propane, you’ll have to occasionally lubricate the gun.

You can check out the best CO2 airsoft pistols here.

Conclusion

Gas-powered guns are one of the more popular choices for airsoft. They’re especially common when it comes to pistols, since gas pistols are a much more common option than an electric pistol. In this article we dove deep into what gas-powered guns are, how they work, some pros and cons of using them, the different types of gases that can be used, the blowback feature some of them have, and how much they cost.

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