M4A1 Assault Rifle: Customize!

One of my favorite assault rifles is the M4A1; it’s like the baby brother of the M16 rifle.  The M4 real steel and its variants fire 5.56x45mm NATO ammunition single and fully automatic.  In the airsoft world, standard BBs (0.2g) for out of the box guns and heavier BBs (0.25g) for upgraded guns are used for ammo.

I love this gun because it’s fully customizable.  You can add a foregrip, a bipod, or a bipod vertical foregrip.  Depending on your Rail Interface System (RIS), you can practically attach as much add-ons to your gun as you want.  You can also remove the carry handle, which also acts as your rear sight for zeroing on targets and replace them with a wide range of optics to choose from.  My favorite though is the ACOG (Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight), gwapo!

With regards to the retractable buttstock or shoulder stock, this too can also be modified to your liking.  Some airsoft players also modify their guns in such a way that the buttstock will serve as the battery casing for their gun.

Other modifications to the looks of your gun may be adding a different front sight, perhaps a flip up front sight or a gas block sight.  You can also put an AN/PEQ device which is an advanced laser pointing unit that can also serve as a battery casing for your gun.

There is a lot of ways you can dress up your gun; it can be costly, but it can sure boost your performance.  And it looks good too! :)

Getting Started: Basic Info on Airsoft and War Games

First of all, what is an airsoft hobby about?  It’s all about war games, military tactics, and simulations.  The sport can be played as every man for himself where you take out all players leaving the last man standing the winner or team battles where you take out opposing teams or complete mission objectives.  I’ll deal with game scenarios in more detail in a different post.

Why is it called airsoft?  An airsoft gun is a replica of firearms, sometimes scaled to the real thing, down to the minute details to have a better feel of the game.  Airsoft guns shoot small diameter plastic pellets called BBs.  Guns can be gas powered or battery operated.  There is a wide array of guns to choose from, may it be pistols, sniper rifles, or assault rifles, depending on the role you wish to play.

Is it safe?  Airsoft guns can shoot upwards of 400 feet per second so it sure can hurt!  That is why safety precautions are to be followed when playing the game.  Game marshals are also assigned to watch over the players and run the game.  Wearing the proper gear is also a must, from safety goggles to boots.  This is where the fun part comes in.  Dressing up for the occasion allows you to play the role of your favorite war movie or videogame characters, so you get to have fun and at the same time protect yourself.

Try this hobby!  It’s a nice way to meet people, exercise, and get to play with toys for the big boys!