Airsoft - the Alternative to Paintball

For many years, most of my Saturdays would consist of a terrible ritual. I would begin with the loading of my paintball CO2 tanks into the trunk of my car, and begin the search for the one man within thirty miles that could bring my precious equipment to life. While compressed nutrients were being supplied to the tanks, the search for an unbroken and fresh box of paint would begin. Some days the gods were receptive and my ritual would be completed in an hour or two. Usually, the paintball gods would put obstacles in may path to test my faith.

After many years of dealing with the fickle paintball gods, I now worship at the altar of airsoft. I will be held hostage no more to the tethered tank to my side, nor the fragile paintballs that must be handled as though they were transplant organs. My Saturdays now consist of sleeping late, loading one thin bag into my trunk, and taking a leisurely drive to the field. Rechargeable batteries and solid plastic BBs have replaced hazardous compressed gases and fragile, expiring paintballs. Much as the car has replaced the horse and carriage, airsoft will have the same effect on paintball, mind you that you can still see a stray horse around every once and awhile.

My conversion happened almost overnight. After several hours of online research, much akin to going to a sports bar and asking what is the best football team, I had ordered my first airsoft gun. Needless to say, my first experience with airsoft was a painful one. I will not bore you with another online order horror story. Even though, my first experience with airsoft had shaken my confidence, I braved the online world once more with a second more focused order with a different retailer. After several days, my order arrived, and my initial hopes were confirmed. The accuracy, power, and range that my new airsoft gun displayed were nothing short of amazing. How had I not discovered this before now? I felt as though a great secret had been kept from me. It was now apparent that I must give praise and monetary offerings to my newly discovered hobby.

Armed with my new airsoft gun, I set off to convert the world, starting with the ones closest to me. For most of my comrades the conversion to airsoft was immediate, with some offering to purchase the airsoft gun on the spot. Needless to say, the arrival of airsoft at our paintball field that day delayed the starting time severely, and within two short weeks all remnants of paintball had been removed from the field and our possession