Airsoft abbreviations and terminology

From Airsoft Community Wiki

The sport of Airsoft uses many common abbreviations and terms that can sometimes bewilder the beginner. Many of the terms used come from military application. A selection of some of the most common terms and abbreviations and a basic description of what those terms mean is listed below.

Abbreviations

Abbreviation	Description
0.2	0.2 gram Ball Bullet. The most common type of BB in use in AEGs.
ACM	All Chinese Made. See Cheapsofting.
ACOG	Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight. A type of sight.
ACU	Army Combat Uniform. The new standard Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) of the US Army.
AEG	Automatic Electric Gun
AEP	Automatic Electric Pistol
AI	Accuracy International. The manufacturer of the L96 sniper rifle.
Batt	Battery pack
BB	Ball Bullet (often Bullet Ball)
BDU	Battle Dress Uniform
BE	Both Elephant. A manufacturer of budget airsoft weapons.
BFG	Blank firing grenade
BFG(alt.)	Big Flamin* Gun,(*or any other appropriate F word)
CA	Classic Army. A popular manufacturer of Airsoft weapons.
CCO	Close Combat Optic
Chrono	Chronograph
Comms	Communications. Typically refers to PMR systems.
CQB	Close Quarters Battle
CQC	Close Quarters Combat
Crainie	Airsoft 'Medusa' touch. eg; 'You've just Crainie'd my gun ya bast*&d!' Someone has done a Crainie on my lunch! (eaten it all)
Cr*p-Cap	Another term for a real capacity magazine.
DE	Double Eagle. A manufacturer of budget airsoft weapons. Can also be used to signify a Desert Eagle pistol.
DPM	Distruptive Pattern Material
End Ex	End of Exercise. In game terms, "End of this game".
FA	Fully Automatic
FUBAR	F***ed Up Beyond All Recognition
FPS	Feet Per Second
G&G	Guay & Guay. A popular manufacturer of Airsoft weapons.
G36	Popular series of assault rifles made by Heckler and Koch
GBB	Gas Blow Back
H&K	Heckler and Koch. A Manufacturer of real weapons including the MP5 and G36 series of weapons.
Hi-cap	High Capacity magazine.
IF	Imitation Firearm.
j	Joule.
JG	Jin Gong. A manufacturer of budget airsoft weapons.
Lo-cap	A Low Capacity magazine.
LPEG	Low Power Electric Gun.
LSW	Light Support Weapon
M203	A type of Greanade Launcher
M4/M15/M16/M733	Popular types of Armalite rifles
Mag	Magazine
mAh	Milliamp Hours. A measure of the capacity of a BATTERY PACK. The higher the mAh, the longer the battery will last.
Mid-cap	Medium (or Middle) Capacity magazine.
Mk5	Mark 5 flashbang pyrotechnic. Essentially a large 'banger'.
Mk9	Mark 9 flashbang pyrotechnic. Bigger and louder than the Mk5.
MOSCART	A device for launching a large amount of BB's in one go. Used as a simulated rifle-launched grenade.
MP5	Popular sub-machine gun made by Heckler and Koch
NBB	Non Blow Back
NiCd	Nickel Cadmium. A type of rechargable battery.
NiMH	Nickel Metal Hydride. A type of rechargable battery
OpFor	Opposing Force (the enemy team).
PLCE	Personal Load Carrying Equipment
PMR	Personal Mobile Radio. Sometimes referred to as a Walkie-Talkie, or, more simply, a Radio.
Pyro	Pyrotechnics
RAS	Rail Adapter System. Typically refers to Weaver or Picatinny rails.
RCO	Rifle Combat Optic
Real-cap	A low capacity magazine which holds the same amount of BBs as the real gun holds bullets.
RIF	Realistic Imitation Firearm
RIS	Rail Integration System. Typically refers to gun bodyparts that have integrated rails attached.
ROF	Rate of fire. Commonly measured in rounds per second or rounds per minute.
SA	Semi Automatic
SIGHT	Part of the aiming system on AEG's/Pistols/Moscart Launchers
SITE	The place where you go to airsoft
SitRep	Situation Report
SMG	Sub-Machine gun
Smoke	Smoke pyrotechnic.
SUSAT	Sight Unit Small Arms Trilux. A type of OPTIC used by the British Military
SZ	Safe Zone
TacVest	Tactical vest.
TM	Tokyo Marui. A popular manufacturer of Airsoft weapons.
UTG	Under The Gun. A popular budget brand of rebadged Airsoft weapons.
v	Volts. A measure of the power output of a BATTERY PACK. The higher this number, the higher the rate of fire the Airsoft weapon will achieve.
WA	Western Arms. A popular manufacturer of Airsoft weapons.

Common Terminology

Note: words that have been CAPTIALISED have their own entry in this list.

Term	Description
Aimpoint	A type of electronic RED DOT used as a SIGHT on some rifles and pistols. Usually mounted on to a weapon using a RAIL.
Armalite	A gun manufacturer. Armaments made by ArmaLite are collectively known as Armalite guns as their stylings are usually distinctive and easily recognisable as being from Armalite. M4, M16 and M733 are examples of Armalite rifles.
Automatic Electric Gun	An Airsoft gun powered by batteries that is capable of a FULLY AUTOMATIC fire mode.
Automatic Electric Pistol	An Airsoft pistol powered by batteries that is capable of a FULLY AUTOMATIC fire mode.
Ball Bullets	The ammunition used by Airsoft weapons.
Battery Pack	A linked and shrink-wrapped series of rechargable batteries used to power an AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC GUN or electric pistol. Batteries come in various capacities (measured in MILLIAMP HOURS) and differing power outputs (measured in VOLTS).
Bipod	A device that is used to support rifles, machine guns and LSW type weapons. Consists of two legs that the rifle is rested upon.
Bolt action	An gun where the opening and closing of the loading breech is controlled by a sliding bolt. In airsoft rifles, bolt action rifles are most frequently seen in sniper applications.
Bore	The diameter of the INNER BARREL. Typically the bore of an inner barrel is 6.08 millimetres.
Bullpup	A style of rifle where the MAGAZINE is held somewhere behind the trigger. This allows for a longer INNER BARREL to be used or for a shorter overall body for the rifle. Examples of Bullpup rifles are: Steyr AUG, FA-MAS and the British army L85 (SA80).
Burst	A fire mode where, when the trigger is pulled, the gun fires several shots in quick succession and then re-cocks, ready for use.
Bushings/Bearings	Components of a GEAR BOX that allow various parts to move freely and perform their job effectively.
Carbine	A shorter version of a rifle, typically employed in close quarters battle scenarios.
Cells	The individual power storage item that make up a BATTERY PACK.
Channel	A selected wavelength on a PMR (Walkie Talkie). Users on the same channel can talk to one another.
Charger	A device used to charge up BATTERY PACKS.
Cheapsofting	A term used to describe the new generation of budget price but good performing AEGs coming out of China.
Chronograph	A device used to measure the speed of ammunition as it is fired from a gun. Used in Airsoft to ensure that Airsoft guns are within legal limits and conforming to site specific FPS rules.
Cocking	The act of a gun mechanism being set so that it's ready to fire.
Crane stock	A particular type of sliding STOCK that allows for a customised battery to be installed in the stock itself.
Fire selector	The lever or switch that is used to put the weapon into FULLY AUTOMATIC, SEMI AUTOMATIC and Safe modes
Flash hider	A device attached to the MUZZLE of a gun to help reduce the flash that occurs when the gun is fired. On airsoft weapons the flash hider is purely cosmetic.
Flashbang	A PYROTECHNIC similar to a large banger. When lit, it explodes with a loud bang and a flash of light.
Fully Automatic	A fire mode where as long as the trigger is held, the gun will continue to fire.
Gas Blow Back	An Airsoft pistol or SMG powered by HFC134a, GREEN GAS or RED GAS where the slide or firing bolt recoil like a real gun when the weapon is fired.
Gear box	The metal or plastic housing that contains the gear assembly of the Airsoft weapon. The gear box transfers the movement of the motor to the PISTON to allow the weapon to 'fire'.
Gears	Made of metal, a three part (bevel, spur and sector) way of transferring the movement of the motor to draw back the piston and release it to travel forward, thus propelling the BB out of the AEG.
Goggles	Protective eyewear used by Airsoft players.
Green Gas	A propellant used to power GAS BLOW BACK pistols and other gas-powered Airsoft weapons. Is more powerful than HFC134a gas and sometimes requires the user to upgrade their Airsoft weapon to use it.
Grenade Launcher	Typically an Airsoft weapon used to throw a cloud of BALL BULLETS at the enemy to emulate the blast of a real grenade. Usually uses gas powered SHELLs as the mechanism for throwing the BBs.
HFC134a	A common propellant used to power GAS BLOW BACK pistols and other gas-powered Airsoft weapons.
Holo sight	Short for holographic sight. A type of RED DOT SIGHT.
Holster	An open storage pouch or stapping system used to securely carry a pistol (or other light weapon). Holsters are designed to allow a shooter easy access to the pistol as needed.
Hop Up	A mechanism in an Airsoft weapon that imparts backspin on the BALL BULLET as it passes through the INNER BARREL to give it stability in it's flight and to grant it additional range. The Hop Up typically uses rubber to impart the backspin. Hop Up systems work by using Bernoulli's principle.
Inner barrel	The tube that the BALL BULLETS travel down to be fired from the Airsoft weapon. Fits inside the fake OUTER BARREL of the gun and provides the correct BORE for the BBs.
Iron sights	An unmagnified sight, usually made of steel, that sits on a gun to assist with aiming. Iron sights usually take the form of a notch, post or ring with one part up at the MUZZLE of the rifle, mounted on the barrel and the other further back on the top of the body of the rifle. The two parts of the sight are then lined up by the shooter.
Joule	A measure of energy. Used in Airsoft to calculate the energy imparted upon a BALL BULLET by an Airsoft weapon. In the UK, Automatic Airsoft Weapons (such as AEGs) are not allowed to fire with a muzzle energy of over 1.35j. Although the law recognises air-weapons by their muzzle energy, most Airsofters refer to their weapons by the velocity of the BBs as they leave the barrel (usually in Feet Per Second). Given the weight of the BB used and the velocity the BB leaves the barrel, you can calculate it's effective energy in joules. In addition to the limitation set by law, Airsoft weapons must adhere to velocity/energy limitations set by individual sites (this is typically stated as 328fps when using a 0.2gram BB). These limits are set for the safety of the players.
Laser	A small unit that emits a laser beam which is used to help aim at enemies. The laser is typically red but green and even blue lasers are also available (albeit for greater cost. The green and blue lasers are typically used for laser visibility in daylight or outdoor environments. A laser unit can be mounted to an Airsoft gun using a RAIL.
Loadout	A term typically used to refer to a collection of equipment used by a player. Players may assemble different sets of equipment for different themes or for different jobs and refer to them as seperate loadouts.
Low Powered Electric Gun	An Airsoft weapon powered by batteries that is only capable of low velocities. Unsuitable for skirmishing and typically purchased as a cheap novelty.
Magazine	The container holding and feeding the ammunition into the gun. There are three types of airsoft magazines: Hi-cap, mid-cap and lo-cap. Hi-caps carry the most ammunition and have a clockwork spring that needs to be tensioned to help feed the BALL BULLETS into the gun. Mid-caps and lo-caps carry less BBs but need no spring tensioning between volleys.
Mask	Protective mask used to shield parts of the face during Airsoft games. Sometimes combined with Goggle systems (Paintball masks) or with a fine metal mesh section to protect the wearer's eyes (Airsoft Mesh mask).
Milliamp Hours	A meeasure of the amount of charge held in a CELL or a BATTERY PACK. The more milliamp hours a battery can store, the longer the battery will last.
Muzzle	The 'business-end' of a weapon's barrel, where the ammunition exits the weapon.
Non Blow Back	An Airsoft pistol powered by HFC134a, GREEN GAS or RED GAS where the slide does not kick back. Typically used for stealth in Airsoft scenarios. Also more reliable in cold weather than their 'blow-back' counterparts.
Optics	A catch-all phrase for all types of telescopic SCOPEs and RED DOT SIGHTs used on weapons.
Outer barrel	The cosmetic barrel of the Airsoft weapon that hides the real INNER BARREL.
Picatinny Rail	A slotted rail used for mounting accessories on weapons. Argubly less common than the Weaver rail on Airsoft weapons.
Piston	A 'ramrod' housed in a cylindrical chamber that is used to force air through the AIrsoft weapon and thus 'fire' the gun. The piston is drawn back by the GEAR BOX, letting air into the piston, and forced forward by the main SPRING causing the air to be forced out of a nozzle and up the INNER BARREL.
Pyrotechnic	A type of firework used in Airsoft games to produce flashes, bangs or smoke. Typically used to emulate grenades.
Rail	A strip of metal roughly 20 millimetres wide used to mount accessories such as torches, LASERS and SCOPES to a rifle or pistol.
Real Steel	The real-world version of the firearm that an Airsoft weapon is replicating.
Red dot sight	A type of sight that uses an illumitated dot or shape to aid the shooter to aim. Red dot sights are sometimes referred to as CCOs.
Red Gas	The common name for HCFC-22 gas. A propellant used to power GAS BLOW BACK pistols and other gas-powered Airsoft weapons. Is more powerful than both HFC134a and Green gas.
Reflex sight	A type of RED DOT SIGHT.
Safe Zone	A protected area of the Airsoft site where loaded weapons aren't allowed and eye protection isn't required. Skirmishes do not take place in or near a Safe Zone so players inside are safe from harm.
Safety	The mechanism of an Airsoft weapon that allows a user to stop the weapon from being fired.
Scope	A telescopic sight that assists a shooter to aim at distant targets. Scopes come in various magnifications and sometimes come with illuminated reticules, like RED DOT SIGHTs.
Semi Automatic	A fire mode where, when the trigger is pulled, the gun will fire a single shot and re-cock, ready for another shot.
Shell	A fake grenade that can be loaded with BALL BULLETS and placed into a GRENADE LAUNCHER. When used, the shell throws the BBs out in a scattered cloud, emulating the bast of a real grenade fired from a launcher. The term shell is sometimes used in reference to shotgun style cartridges used to load BBs into Airsoft shotguns.
Silencer	A common name for a SUPPRESSOR.
Sling	The 'strap' used to carry and support a rifle. Can come in various styles and configurations such as a 1-point or 3-point sling.
Spring	The main spring provides the kinetic energy to the piston to allow it to force air through the Airsoft weapon and hence 'fire' the gun. Stronger main springs produce more powerful Airsoft guns but (typically) lower rates of fire.
Springer	An Airsoft weapon purely powered by compression of it's main SPRING alone, by a COCKING mechanism such as a slide, bolt or other compressive action. Springers are single shot weapons as the spring needs to be re-compressed for the next shot. The term springer is usually used to refer to cheap, low powered Airsoft guns useful for back garden target practise but not suitable for skirmish games.
Stock	The butt of the rifle which is shouldered to provide stability during firing. Stocks can be solid or movable. Movable stocks provide the owner to shorten the rifle for ease of use or for transport. Movable stocks can be sliding or folding.
Suppressor	A device used to muffle the sound of a gun being fired. Sometimes used on Airsoft weapons to hide extended INNER BARRELs, for cosmetic purposes or to try and silence the gun for stealthy operation.
Tactical Vest	A combat vest that contains pouches, pockets, and places for MAGAZINES, PYOTECHNICS and sometimes HOLSTERS to be attached. Used by Airsoft players to allow them to carry the equipment and armaments they need during the course of a skirmish.
Tight-bore	An INNER BARREL where the BORE is smaller than usual (typically 6.03 or 6.04 millimetres). Tight-bore barrels usually grant the Airsoft weapon more accuracy.
Underslung	A position underneath the barrel of the rifle. Usually used to describe where equipment is attached (for example, an underslung grenade launcher).
Weaver rail	A slotted rail used for mounting accessories on weapons. The slots are closer together than on the Picatinny rail.
Webbing	A type of high-strength woven strap used (among other things) to make military belts, strapping and load carrying systems. The term is commonly used to refer to the strapping and pouch systems used by players to carry their ammo, magazines, batteries and other apparel on the game field.
Zeroing	The action of calibrating a sight or SCOPE so that where it points is where the gun shoots.