There is more than one type of airsoft BB gun. Generally, most airsoft BB guns can be thought of as replicas: they are like "toy" ? counterparts of "real" ? firearms. The main types of of these guns are spring powered guns, electric airsoft guns, and gas powered guns.

Spring powered airsoft BB guns:

When you use one of these guns, you must manually cock it. When you cock it, a spring is compressed inside the piston, making an airtight seal when released. When the trigger is pulled, the piston is released, and a high pressure area is created behind the BB which projects it down the barrel and out toward the target. Spring powered airsoft BB guns must be cocked before every shot. They are generally less expensive than other airsoft replicas.

Electric airsoft BB guns:

These are the type of gun that you will most commonly see used in the sport. Unlike spring powered airsoft BB guns, the cocking action is automated in an electric airsoft BB gun. Generally, one of these guns will be powered by a rechargeable battery pack.

Gas powered airsoft BB guns:

To propel the BB, gas powered airsoft BB guns use... well... gas. Pressureized gas, stored in a liquid form in a chamber is released into the firing chamber where it expands a great deal in volume and propels the BB. A blowback gun is generally more expenive than a non-blowback one (a blowback airsoft BB gun is one in which the gas essentially blows back, after propelling the BB, to cycle the internal mechanism, resetting it for the next shot.) People like the blowback slide action on the gun, because this makes an airsoft pistol seem even more realistic.

Airsoft BB guns have become very popular since the days when they were very first introduced. This is because they are seen as a much safer, yet still accurate, counterpart to regular BB guns. Airsoft BB guns are even used in a sport similar to paintball, in which the BBs are shot at people!

The airsoft BBs are not made of metal like regular BBs. Rather, they are made of soft plastic that comes in many different colors. You should not try to reuse airsoft BBs (this is both dangerous, and it will degrade your gun.)

When buying airsoft BBs, look for biodegradeable ones. They will decompose in less than a year whereas traditional airsoft BBs can take around 5 years to decompose.

Airsoft BBs come in various weights. The lighter the BB, the further it will travel, but the less accurate it will be. The reverse is true of higher weight BBs. Therefore, most people tend to use airsoft BBs that are of .20 or .25 gram weights. These are a great combination of both accuracy and range.