Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Airsoft?

Originally developed as a forces training aid, Airsoft skirmishing has evolved into a popular military simulation game utilising 1:1 exact replicas of real world firearms that fire 6mm plastic BBs at a range of up to 40 meters in fully automatic mode.

What Is Airsoft not?

Airsoft guns are designed for skirmish play and display purposes only. They are made solely to fire 6mm plastic BBs and are essentially toys. They will not fire metal projectiles and are impossible to convert to fire anything aside from plastic BBs.

What is Airsoft game play like?

Airsoft skirmishing can be compared to paintballing, but with less mess, much cheaper ammunition and much more realism. It is an honesty based system where a hit player will call him/herself out whilst being monitored by game marshals. Game styles can vary according to the skirmish site attended. Sites have been set up in woodland areas, disused airfields, wartime bunkers and even a retired shopping mall. Game scenarios can vary from simple capture the flag/last man standing games to tactical realism based missions such as VIP rescue or bomb defusal, complete with props.

Are Airsoft guns suitable for children?

Due to their low power, reliability, easy of use and weight Airsoft Replicas are ideal for teaching children gun awareness. However they should be treated as real-guns, and children should be supervised by an adult while using them and must wear all the correct safety equipment. Wolf Armouries will not sell a gun to anyone under the age of 18. We do not recommend that children under the age of 14 should use airsoft replicas.

What protective gear do I need to play?

Safety equipment is not a luxury in airsoft; it is compulsory. Eye protection must be worn at all times when using airsoft replicas; even when target shooting in the back garden. BBs can rebound back and potentially cause serious eye damage therefore impact rated eye protection such as goggles are the bare minimum for over 18s. Under 18s are legally mandated to wear full face protection.

Does Airsoft hurt?

Generally speaking, BBs hurt less than paintballs as they weigh a lot less. However, it is still possible for BBs to split skin and cause minor bleeding at point blank ranges, which is why we recommend that players wear full face protection to maximise protection. Some sites allow players wear protective glasses only at their own risk. Other optional equipment to prevent injury include gloves, vests, helmets and knee pads, which are available to purchase from our website or in store.

Is Airsoft legal in my country?

The legality of Airsoft varies between countries. You must check with your local government whether Airsoft, the importation of Airsoft items or the ownership of Airsoft products is legal.

If you choose to visit us while you are in London, you can purchase an Airsoft gun and take it back home with you, provided you can produce a ticket of some kind proving your exit from the UK within the week. Please check the legality of taking replica firearms in booked luggage with your airline before you purchase. We cannot be held accountable if your luggage is confiscated at the airport. 

Regrettably, we are unable to offer warranty on international orders, please keep this in mind before ordering.

For online International orders, please contact us first for details as not all products can be shipped from UK. Any orders placed without contacting us first, can be cancelled and refunded (less fees).

Where can I play airsoft?

We at Wolf Armouries run a skirmish at Bunker 51 every other Saturday, from 6:30pm to 10pm. Bunker 51 is located just 20 minutes from the heart of London, near the O2 Arena/North Greenwich Station. More details regarding our skimish can be found here on our Game Days page.

Most UK skirmish sites can be found on the UKARA website and are fully insured: Click here for more information. There is also an unofficial Airsoft Map of all the skirmish sites around the UK, which can be found here.

Players may only play in fully private settings, i.e. registered sites or fully enclosed private land. Players may NOT play in public areas such as local parks or even in the street, lest the police be called and your airsoft replicas confiscated.

Can I purchase an airsoft gun?

In 2006, the UK introduced the VCRA (Violent Crimes Reduction Act), which strictly limited the sale of RIFs (Realistic Imitation Firearms) to anyone without a valid defence. By law, realistic Airsoft guns can only be sold to Airsoft skirmishers or Reenactors. To facilitate this, the UKARA (United Kingdom Airsoft Retailer’s Association) operates a national database to allow the simple, safe and secure purchase of Airsoft guns, and most importantly, the prevention of the sport from being outlawed.

An alternative to purchasing RIFs was added shortly afterwards. Two-tone/transparent airsoft guns, which is to say, guns that have more than 50% of their body painted a bright colour (blue/red/green) are excempt from the VCRA and may be sold to anyone over the age of 18.

Should you decide to register as a UKARA player, one must play at a registered Airsoft skirmish site no less than 3 times with a waiting period of 60 days after the first game, in order to become eligible to register as a player. Once registered, the world of RIFs is available to you.

You can also join a reenactment societey and as an reenactor you are allowed to purchase RIFs as well.

How much does Airsoft cost?

Depending on the type of airsoft weapon you purchase - gas powered (GBB or Gas Blowback) or electric (AEG or EBB/Electric Blow Back), running costs can be anywhere from a bottle of BBs and spare batteries: roughly £8 for a bottle of 3000 BBs (most magazines contain anywhere from 20-500 BBs depending on the type) and about £30 for a spare battery; to a full loadout of several magazines, bottles of green gas (propane mixed with a deodorant and lubricant) and even more BBs, which can cost upwards of several hundred pounds, depending on how many magazines are purchased.

Gas pistols range from around £45 for the cheapest to just under £200 for the most expensive.

Gas rifles start from around £200 while Electric rifles range from £120 to as much as £580!

Other possible paraphernalia include chest rigs, magazine pouches, gloves, helmets and much much more.

Skirmish site fees will generally be around £25 to play if you own a gun, or around £55 if you wish to rent a gun and mask. Renting is a great way to try the game out before deciding whether or not airsoft is something you are willing to invest both time and money into.

All in all, a beginner's loadout can cost as little as £200 when going for the budget option but we do recommend saving up and spending a little more to ensure your loadout will withstand the rigours of constant running and movement.

Do Airsoft guns include batteries?

Airsoft guns, unless specifically stated, do not come with batteries. You will need to purchase batteries and chargers separately. If batteries/chargers are included with your airsoft gun, they are generally low performance and must be treated as testing equipment or freebies, rather that for skirmish use. We strongly recommend that you purchase a separate charger and battery for regular use.

We can not cover your gun for any damage incurred by use of these batteries/chargers under warranty.

How accurate are Airsoft guns?

Airsoft guns fire a lightweight projectile (on average 0.2g) down a smoothbore barrel at a relatively low velocity. This means that BBs, when fired, tend to be inherently unstable and may be blown around in flight by the wind, yet remain far more accurate and consistent than paintball guns. A basic electric gun can easily hit a 30cm target at 20 metres consistently and a man sized-target at 30m. Pistols in contrast can easily achieve a 25mm grouping at 10 metres, becoming less accurate at longer ranges.

Almost every airsoft gun nowadays includes a HOP Up Unit built into the firing mechanism. HOP, or Higher-Operating Power, potentially improves the range of airsoft replicas by up to 50% by applying back spin to BBs as they leave the chamber, modifying their trajectory to give them more range. An adjustable HOP-unit allows the user to adjust the amount of backspin, thus allowing them to increase or decrease the range of their gun as they desire.

What BBs should I use?

BBs (or pellets) come measured in weights ranging from 0.12g to as much as 0.5g per BB. We recommend that most guns fire 0.2g BBs, as almost every skirmish site will chronograph (measure the feet per second/velocity of your BBs) your gun with 0.2s. 0.2s offer a great medium between accuracy and range while still being light enough to not be a burden carrying around. Heavier BBs will travel further but also negatively affect the FPS of your gun. You may not use heavier BBs in an attempt to lower the FPS of your gun to pass a chronograph test.

It is very important that you only use high quality BBs in your airsoft guns. Unfortunately there are many brands of BBs out there that claim to be high grade but when used will cause damage to your Hop-UP Unit or gearbox. If you use any other brands of BBs other than the following brands in your airsoft gun, you will be doing so at your own risk and may also void your warranty.

Recommended BB Brands:
Blaster/Blaster Devil
Guarder
Excel
Tokyo Marui
G&G

What is the legal FPS limit of the UK?

The absolute legal limit in the UK is 519 fps for a single shot/semi auto gun and 374 fps for any gun capable of full auto (with 0.2g BBs). Each site will have its own fps limits which average around 500 fps/328 fps for semi auto and full auto respectively. Our skirmishes at Bunker 51 have an fps limit of 328 + 2% (to an absolute max of 350 fps).

What happens if something goes wrong with my gun?

Wolf Armouries carefully selects the brands we stock to ensure only high quality, reliable products reach our customers. In the unfortunate event that an issue arises, please bring the product back into the store at your earliest convenience and we will attempt to fix any problems you have.

We cannot offer refunds for products that have been used and are simply being returned because the customer no longer likes it.

We warrant certain products to be free from manufacturing defects for 12 months after purchase. This warranty only covers buyers that are current UK residents.

  1. Items from the following manufacturers carry a 12 month warranty:

    • G&P

    • ICS (excluding Sportline models)

    • PTS Syndicate

    • Tokyo Marui

  2. The warranty does not cover:

    • Accidental damage (including magazine feed lips & damage from skirmishing).
    • Any routine maintenance required.
    • Any faults arising from misuse; this includes use of poor quality bbs, any internal damage caused by jammed BBs, overcharging batteries or using the incorrect battery or charger for the gun.
    • Any faults arising from using the wrong gas for temperature conditions, for example Tokyo Marui and other ABS guns must only use 144a gas when ambient temperatures are above 10 Degrees Centigrade.  In very hot conditions, i.e 25 degrees C and above, some pistols with metal slides must only use 144a gas (this is because gas pressure is increased with temprature). Every gas gun is different and you must check the gas you are using is correct.
    • Any faults arising from overcharging of batteries.
    • Any faults arising from repairs / upgrades / maintenance not carried out by us.
    • Any products that have been altered or adjusted in any way from their original format (unless the alterations were carried out by our technicians).
    • Customised items cannot be returned, this includes painted two toned VCRA compliant guns.
    • Normal wear and tear to parts such as, but not limited to gears, pistons, tappet plates,seals and gaskets.