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Laser tag and paintball are pulse-pounding tactical games, but those who get excited about the idea of replicating military action might be distracted by space-age laser guns or patches of neon. Airsoft uses weapons that look and weigh like military weapons and shoot plastic, often biodegradable bullets as players dodge enemy fire and try to stay last. Matches range from capture-the-flag scenarios to single-player battles, in any of which players can hide behind obstacles such as giant barrels, fortress walls and ancient buried school buses. Outside of recreational matches, airsoft guns can be seen at historical reenactments as a safer alternative to authentic antique weapons. Because bullets can sting on contact, combatants wear goggles or full face masks and, often, tight or padded clothing that covers exposed skin.
Airsoft certainly owes a lot to military technology and tactics, but the exchange goes the other way as well. Beginning in 2009, the U.S. Army picked up on the trend and began testing Airsoft as an alternative to the laser beams and paintball bullets it had used for tactical training in the past. Battalion commanders have found that the bullets give their unit members a more realistic sense of when they are actually hit. While paintballs can produce a similar effect, they are more expensive; in addition, outfitting replica weapons with paintballs can cost significantly more.
Location: 4354 New Falls Rd, Levittown, PA 19056-3013
