The General Situation
Basically, Airsoft guns are marketed somewhere in between sporting equipment and “toys.” They are designated this way in virtue of having blaze-orange tips on their muzzles and plastic pellets (“BBs”) as well as because they are intended for use in Airsoft matches where human players shoot their guns at each other in live-action war games. Fundamentally, Airsoft weapons have to be safe enough to use for this purpose. If they were able to kill animals, or injure or kill humans, they would probably not be safe enough.
Therefore, for the most part, state laws do not generally regard Airsoft guns as legal hunting weapons. In some states, you can see this because there is an official list of legal hunting weapons and Airsoft guns simply are not on the list. In other states, laws specify the capabilities (e.g., a particular muzzle velocity) that weapons must have to be legally used for hunting and Airsoft guns usually don’t meet these minimum requirements. In other words, because of their construction, Airsoft guns have insufficient “ballistic energy” or “stopping power” to be of much use either as hunting or self-defensive weapons. In short: “They are really designed more as a toy or target practice device, not meant for hunting.”[1]
Let me explain a bit more.
(For a state-by state run down on the subject of Airsoft and hunting, see HERE. Relatedly, to see my guide to general Airsoft-related laws in the United States, click HERE. For an exposition of the regulations surrounding the orange tips, see my article HERE.)
Airsoft Guns Are Made to Be Relatively Safe
Airsoft guns provide a level of relative safety[2] in virtue of the way they are manufactured. There are several aspects to this.
Airsoft Uses Lighter Projectiles Than Air Rifles, BB Guns, or Firearms.
Firstly, I should note that there are really three main subtypes of weapon that can be referred to as “air guns.” (For a more complete treatment of this issue, see the article HERE.) This can cause some confusion in thinking through these (and related) issues.
Three Main Types of ‘Air Guns’
- Paintball Guns. These guns generally have the largest projectiles – in the range of 17.0 to 18.0 mm, or .67 to .71 inches. They tend to be made of gelatin and are, as the name implies, filled with paint. Many times, however, paintball devices are not called “guns.” Instead, they are often termed “markers.”
- BB Guns. BB guns – whether handguns or rifles – commonly are sold in .177 and .22 calibers (or roughly5 and 5.6 mm). Though there are certainly less-common sizes. BBs are usually steel, but they may be jacketed with copper or zinc to minimize corrosion. BB guns are widely designated “air guns.”
- Airsoft Guns. Unlike BB guns, Airsoft guns shoot non-metallic, usually plastic projectiles. But unlike paintballs, Airsoft projectiles are not filled with dye. Most Airsoft pellets are 6mm (~ .24 inches), but there are some 8mm (~ .31 inches).
Some states do allow “air rifles or pneumatic guns” to be used for hunting purposes. …[One] issue with airsoft is knowing what caliber the BB would be considered because there are caliber requirements for certain species for hunting. …‘Pneumatic guns must meet firearm requirements for season, species hunted, and zone you are hunting in.’”[3]
For big-game hunting, it is not uncommon to see caliber requirements alongside compression or muzzle-velocity requirements.[4] (For more on the latter, see further on.)
Secondly, Airsoft pellets – colloquially referred to as “BBs” – are made of plastic, as opposed to ceramic or metal. This means, in part, that the weight of an Airsoft BB is not only lighter than that of a conventional gun, it’s much lighter. For instance, the standard Airsoft BB weight is around 0.20 grams, whereas the weight of a .22-Short bullet may be around 1.9 grams. The .22 Short therefore weighs 9.5 times what the Airsoft BB does. And the weight of a .44 Magnum bullet may be as much as 16-22 grams – or up to 110 times the weight of an Airsoft BB.
One law-enforcement official puts it bluntly: “Airsoft guns do not meet the restrictions to be able to be utilized for hunting legally. …The plastic [Airsoft] BB’s are soft and were not designed to penetrate skin or take game.”[5]
Airsoft Guns Have Different Propulsion Mechanisms Than Firearms.
Secondly, Airsoft guns propel these BBs using compressed air/gas, spring power, etc. as opposed to a controlled explosion (due to gun powder or some similar compound).
Airsoft Guns Have Slower Muzzle Velocities Than Air Rifles, BB Guns, or Firearms.
Thirdly, Airsoft guns “fire” their projectiles with a comparatively low muzzle velocity. Most factory-produced Airsoft guns will have muzzle velocities between 250 and 450 feet per second (fps). Popular conventional handguns such as the .22 Short, .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, and 9mm Glock often have muzzle velocities that exceed 1,000 fps. Even “slower” handguns, like a .38 Special or a Colt .45, have muzzle velocities between 600 and 900 fps. Certain pistols and rifles may have muzzle velocities approaching 2,000 fps. And a rifle like an AR-15 can be over 3,000 fps. This means that muzzle velocities of firearms – that is, guns that actual do use controlled explosions – may be 2 to 8+ times faster than those of Airsoft guns.
Airsoft Guns Generate Much Lower Kinetic Energy Than Air Rifles, BB Guns, or Firearms.
The lighter weight of Airsoft BBs, combined with the slower muzzle velocities of Airsoft guns, yields a lower transfer of kinetic energy into the target. “Kinetic energy” is defined as “[e]nergy arising from motion”[6] and is usually measured in something called joules (J).[7] The kinetic energy can be computed using the mathematical formula: Kinetic Energy (J) = (½)*(mass)*(velocity squared). Using this formula, we can calculate the kinetic energy generated by some of the guns just mentioned.
| Gun | Projectile Weight (g) | Muzzle Velocity (fps) | Kinetic Energy (J) |
| AR-15 | 3.6 | ~ 3,300 | ~ 1,821.09 |
| .44 Magnum | 16.0 | ~ 1,300 | ~ 1,256.05 |
| .357 Magnum | 10.2 | ~ 1,550 | ~ 1,138.32 |
| .38 Special | 7.1 | ~ 1,000 | ~ 329.81 |
| .22 Short | 1.9 | ~ 1,000 | ~ 88.26 |
| Air rifle (.22) | 0.93 | ~ 900 | ~ 34.99 |
| Air rifle (.177) | 0.55 | ~ 700 | ~ 12.52 |
| BB handgun (high power) | 0.60 | ~ 750 | ~ 15.68 |
| BB handgun (low power) | 0.33 | ~ 550 | ~ 4.64 |
| Paintball (.71) | 3.00 | ~ 300 | ~ 12.54 |
| Paintball (.68) | 1.25 | ~ 280 | ~ 4.55 |
| Airsoft sniper rifle | 0.30 | ~ 450 | ~ 2.82 |
| Airsoft gun (medium) | 0.20 | ~ 350 | ~ 1.14 |
| Airsoft gun (low power) | 0.12 | ~ 250 | ~ 0.35 |
1 Illustration of Differences Between Airsoft Guns and Other Types of Guns (Air Rifles, BB Guns, Paintball Guns, and Firearms)
Things That Make Airsoft Safer, Also Make It Less Effective for Hunting or Defense
Of course, these manufacturing differences make Airsoft guns much safer than traditional handguns and rifles. At the same time, this safety means that Airsoft guns will have less “stopping power” than other sorts of gun.[8]
A simple Google search indicates that “stopping power” is a wooly notion. For one thing, there are all sorts of other considerations – such as the so-called “ballistic coefficient” (i.e., the projectile’s ability to overcome air resistance) and penetrative factors (i.e., estimates as to how likely a projectile is to penetrate into its target) – when it comes to “stopping power.” I cannot hope to iron all this out, presently. And I won’t try to!
But I will say that as vague as the idea may be, intuitively, “stopping power” is relevant to the matters at hand. It applies not only to applications like self-defense, but also to hunting – whether small or large game – because less kinetic energy is going to make a difference to the gun’s ability to “take” an animal (in the hunting sense) or take down an intruder.
Hunting-Related Legalities
Some states have very specific requirements for what constitutes a permissible hunting device. For a bit more state-specific information on this, see my special page, HERE.
But suffice it to say that some state laws make statements about minimum muzzle velocities (e.g., maybe a gun has to shoot projectiles at 1,000 fps at least) or pellet size (e.g., some states require .177 caliber at the least).[9] These sorts of regulations may affect the kinds of Airsoft guns (if any) that would potentially qualify as hunting weapons.
Another, related issue would be licensing. If “Air soft guns [qualify as] being considered firearms for hunting [then this] does create many other issues. A person utilizing an air soft gun for hunting would need a valid license, a safety course (or parental supervision from a licensed hunter), etc.”[10]
Airsoft Guns May Still Have a Place
Even if Airsoft guns per se are ineffectual (at best) or illegal (at worst) for use in hunting or self-defense; they may still have a role to play. I’m thinking of target practice!
To put it differently: “Air rifles can be a great way to improve shooting skills.”[11] And shooting skills can be a life saver in other contexts and with the appropriate weapons.
Another correspondent even observes: “Airsoft guns have become more common in law enforcement training and especially in active shooter training.”[12]
Summary
Even though Airsoft guns are somewhere between ineffective and impermissible as hunting and self-defensive weapons, they may still be used for target practice and tactical simulations.
Notes:
[1] Brandon Kieft, First Lt., District Law Supervisor, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement Division, Roscommon Customer Service Center; via email.
[2] At least, compared to Air rifles, BB guns, and firearms.
[3] Timothy Barboza, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement; via email.
[4] In Michigan, for instance: “The guide states ‘A .35 caliber or larger air rifle or pistol charged only from an external high compression power source.’ Is a legal firearm for hunting deer in the Limited firearm deer zone.” Ibid.
[5] Barboza, loc. cit.
[6] “Kinetic Energy,” Peter Walker, ed., Larousse Dictionary of Science and Technology, Edinburgh & New York: Larousse, 1995, p. 609.
[7] 1 Joule is said to equal 1 kilogram*1 meter squared over 1 second squared. That is: 1 J = 1 kg*(m2/s2).
[8] See, e.g., “Ballistic Coefficient,” Wikipedia, Jan. 6, 2019, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_coefficient> and “Stopping Power,” Wikipedia, Dec. 8, 2018, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stopping_power>.
[9] One Michigan-based enforcement official commented: “This is where the BB size comes into play. …[S]ome air soft guns do have BB’s that are higher caliber than the .177. That would make them loosely meet our definition of firearm in the DNR (mainly because they aren’t archery equipment).” Brandon Kieft, First Lt., District Law Supervisor, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement Division, Roscommon Customer Service Center; via email.
[10] Brandon Kieft, First Lt., District Law Supervisor, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement Division, Roscommon Customer Service Center; via email.
[11] Rick Swart, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, West Region Public Information Officer; via email.
[12] Kurt Blanchard, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Division of Law Enforcement; via email. For example, New York State “…use[s] airsoft guns for training purposes in our Hunter Education classes. [Students] must demonstrate safe firearm handling and for that purpose our program uses airsoft guns or inert (non-functioning) firearms.” According to Christopher Finlay, Hunter Education Program, Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; via email.