Whether electric airsoft guns are the best or not isn’t a settled debate. While some people swear by them for their benefit, there are others who detest them for their downsides. So, what are the pros and cons of the electric airsoft gun?
Electric airsoft guns are powerful, cheaper, more efficient, and easier to maintain than other airsoft gun types. They also offer consistent performance and give users access to a variety of choices. On the other hand, they can cause more harm and inconvenience to users.
There is a no surprise I have only electric airsoft guns listed in my list of Best Airsoft M4s (AEG) in the 2023 review.
In this article, I’ll discuss the pros and cons of using electric airsoft guns. I’ll also go over the best type of airsoft gun.
The Pros of an Electric Airsoft Gun
Many airsoft players prefer electric airsoft because of the ample features and benefits they offer. These include:
Electric Airsoft Guns Are Powerful and Efficient
Of all the existing airsoft gun types, one can say that the electric gun is generally the most powerful.
For one, a lot of electric airsoft gun models are automatic, which means that they can release lots of pellets simply with the pull of a trigger. These automatic guns also tend to reach much longer ranges than most other gun types.
Furthermore, they’re also super-fast. Shooting 500 feet per second (FPS) or 340.91 miles per hour (MPH) seems to be the minimum performance for many electric airsoft guns. Comparatively, 500 FPS (340.91 MPH) is the peak performance for many spring and gas guns.
The magazine capacity of the electric gun is also the largest. The result of this is that you get to shoot for a longer period than you would with other guns before having to refill the magazine.
Also, even though they shoot more far distances, electric airsoft guns almost always deliver the most accurate shots of all three gun types.
What’s more, the electric airsoft gun delivers all of its shots with greater intensity and ferocity. This simply means that if you aim the gun at any target, such a target should surely feel it when the shot hits them.
The major benefit of these is that shooting with the electric airsoft is a more enjoyable experience than with other guns.
You Can Expect Consistent Performance
If there are no faults, electric airsoft guns deliver consistent and enjoyable performance anytime you put them to use. Their efficiency isn’t influenced by any external factors, such as the condition of the surrounding environment.
This isn’t the case with gas guns, though. Their delivery tends to be swayed by the weather or state of wherever you’re playing the game. For instance, if the environment is cold, you can expect the gas to freeze and deliver sub-optimal shots.
Electric Airsoft Guns Are Cheaper
It does seem like electric airsoft guns are the most expensive types of airsoft guns. This is largely due to the cost of purchasing them from the start is generally much higher than that of acquiring a spring or gas gun. However, in reality, users quickly discover that the electric airsoft gun is cheaper in everyday use.
When purchasing airsoft guns, you must view how affordable a gun type is regarding how cost-effective it is. As such, when we consider cost-effectiveness, electric airsoft guns are much cheaper than the other types.
For instance, spring guns may be lower-priced than electric guns, but users pay a lot in performance. They suffer lags, inaccuracy of shots, and often shorter-range reach. However, the electric airsoft gun offers all these and more.
The situation is the same with gas guns. Although they offer decent performance, the owner must continuously purchase gas and other materials and tools to keep using the gas airsoft gun. Additionally, the costs of maintenance and observing safety precautions are also high.
With the electric airsoft gun, you get to avoid all of these. Once you purchase the gun, you don’t need to spend money on anything else whenever you need to use the gun. All you have to do is ensure the battery is properly charged.
Electric Airsoft Guns Are Easier and Cheaper To Maintain
Furthermore, the cost of subsequent maintenance of the gun is relatively low. Since electric guns are popular, their parts and accessories are readily available. The implication is that these parts are always cheaper than those of the gas gun.
The maintenance is also easy. You don’t have to monitor the parts all the time as you’ll need with gas guns.
Electric Airsoft Guns Are Less Harmful to the Environment
The world is increasingly becoming more concerned with how activities affect our environment and our role in it. The climate is changing largely due to the actions of humans that contribute to increasing global warming.
For instance, humans release gases that contain methane into the atmosphere. So, using gas airsoft guns essentially causes users to do just that. Note that the gas used in gas airsoft guns is called “green gas” because it’s considerably cleaner than other types of gas. Nonetheless, the fact remains that they still cause a little harm to the environment.
With an electric airsoft gun, you get to avoid all that. The energy that powers them comes from a battery that you only need to charge with electricity. Therefore, the electric airsoft gun prevents you from the need to release somewhat harmful gases to the environment.
Electric Airsoft Guns Offer Variety
A key reason why electric airsoft guns have many fans is that they provide users with plenty of room to choose. With electric guns, you get to be flexible as they afford users access to various options.
For one, you get to choose which classes of gun you want. With other gun types, such as gas and spring ones, you get restricted to only one category. This is because, by design, the gun type best works with that class of gun.
For instance, we know that many spring guns are long rifles because the manual working mechanism of the spring gun will be best suited for a rifle. On the other hand, many gas guns are pistols because the action mechanism of the gas gun works well for pistols.
But the electric airsoft gun doesn’t have these limitations. Either pistols or rifles, the electric airsoft gun is compatible with any class of gun.
Moreover, the electric guns allow users to customize the settings of their guns as they wish. You can easily switch your gun to semi-automatic if that suits the game at hand.
Also, you can put your gun in stealth mode, which means it doesn’t make any sounds when you release a shot. So, you can only imagine the benefits of this.
For one, your fellow players won’t know your shot is coming for them, which increases the fun in the game. At the same time, your game doesn’t get to disturb others in the surrounding.
Note that both the spring and gas guns lack this feature and tend to release quite loud sounds when you fire a shot.
The Cons of Using Electric Airsoft Gun
While users can enjoy many benefits from the electric airsoft gun, many downsides can make using the gun a little unenjoyable. These include:
Electric Airsoft Guns Can Be a Little More Harmful
Most electric airsoft guns come with automatic magazine discharge. They’re much faster than other types of guns, meaning their shots can reach longer distances quicker. Also, the pellets they discharge travel at greater intensity and ferocity. In short, most electric guns are more powerful than their peers.
However, the combination of all of these features can make the electric airsoft gun somewhat dangerous. This danger is poised not only to actual users but to other people as well.
The gun being automatic means that it can deliver more shots per time than any other type of gun. This can be risky if a user unknowingly aims the electric airsoft gun at the wrong targets. There’s a potential for aggravated damage, as several shots would’ve been discharged before the user would’ve even known.
Moreover, the gun shoots with strong intensity. The implication of this is that it hits whatever target hard, increasing the potential harm that such a gun can do.
Electric Airsoft Guns Aren’t Suited to All Types of Players
A good airsoft gun should be one that players of all levels of skill and experience can be comfortable playing. In essence, they shouldn’t be too low or too high for most airsoft players.
Electric airsoft is mostly automatic guns. They also have higher firepower and are generally more powerful. This means that they tend to be more technical and complicated for a beginner to understand and operate.
Furthermore, allowing beginners or non-experts to play with electric airsoft guns can be a bit dangerous.
Electric airsoft guns deliver higher power and velocity and potentially harm fellow players and even passersby. This is more likely to happen if they aren’t handled by professionals or anyone who has sufficient experience in playing with them. This means that the gun isn’t best for players who are just learning airsoft or those who haven’t achieved enough mastery.
Using Electric Airsoft Guns Involves Some Inconvenience
Although they don’t get damaged as easily as other types of guns do, they can cause some inconvenience to users if certain circumstances arise.
One of which is when the battery gets drained. The electric airsoft gun mostly works through battery technology, which you have to charge properly to enjoy your game. However, after considerable use, the battery tends to run down, meaning the gun simply stops working.
If there are no charging spaces around the playing field, you may have to end your game for that day. This reduces a lot of the fun that you should’ve derived from it. In short, electric airsoft guns might not be best for extended outdoor entertainment.
Another situation that can cause significant hassle when using electric airsoft guns is dealing with humidity. Devices that use electricity don’t perform well around water and wetness, which is exactly the case with electric airsoft guns.
If your electric airsoft gets submerged in water, it might be damaged permanently, or at best, will require some repair.
When using an electric airsoft gun, you won’t be able to play in the rain, which can be a fun experience.
What Is the Best Type of Gun: Spring, Gas, or Electric?
There’s no definite answer to this question. I can say that the overall best type of gun is the best gun for you.
The best type of gun, whether it’s spring, gas, or electric, depends on what’s the best for you. To decide which among them you should go for, you need to consider some factors, including the price, your level of expertise, preferred power source, and shooting experience.
Let’s explain these factors in greater detail.
Price
Before you purchase any airsoft gun, you need to take a look at your budget. Is an airsoft gun something you want to spend quite a sum on?
The cheapest airsoft guns are often the spring type. The electric airsoft guns generally come next in line, and the gas guns are almost always the most expensive.
However, the costs don’t end with the initial purchase. You need to continue to spend on maintaining the gun. For spring and electric guns, you might not have to spend much. However, for the gas gun, you always need to purchase green gas, and then there’s the need for regular maintenance of the parts.
Level of Expertise
How good are you at playing airsoft? If you’re a beginner, then spring guns may be good for you. You can also consider electric guns. Generally, the most technical tend to be gas guns. Thus, how good you are at handling airsoft guns should determine the type of gun you choose.
Preference of Power Source
The power source you readily have access to should be a factor you put into consideration. If you can easily get propane, then go with the gas airsoft. If you can get to charging stations, then go with electricity. However, if neither of these are within reach or convenient for you, then the spring will do.
Shooting Experience
What type of shooting do you do? Long-range? Short-range? Would you like to be a sniper? If you do short-distance shooting, then the spring and sometimes electric would be good for you. If you want to be a sniper, then go with the gas or electric airsoft gun.
Did you know that you can make your airsoft sniper gun more accurate with a few easy-to-follow steps? Read more in this detailed article.
Final Thoughts
Although an electric airsoft gun can give you an enjoyable shooting experience, it’s not perfect and can cause discomfort or harm. It’s best to consider both the advantages and disadvantages of this gun type so you can make an informed decision as to whether or not it’s the one for you. Additionally, knowing how to manage an electric airsoft gun should also be something you have to know before buying one.
