Airsoft is a popular competitive team shooting activity played by many all around the world. Airsoft, like many other sports or industries, has its fair share of acronyms and terms that can be pretty confusing for new players. What does GBB mean in airsoft? What is the meaning of AEG in airsoft? What is FPS, springer, CQB, RPS, MilSim, AEP?
Even experienced players are probably not familiar with all terms. So regardless if you’re a new or experienced player, we bring you 55 airsoft terms you should be familiar with.
55 Airsoft Terms You Should Be Familiar With
Before playing an airsoft game, you should familiarize yourself with airsoft vocabulary as airsoft is full of acronyms and terms that can be difficult to understand for new players. If you don’t find some term on our list, you can contact us via the contact form or send us an email.
ACR
ACR stands for Adaptive Combat Rifle.
ACU
ACU stands for Army Combat Uniform. It is uniform used by the US Army.
AEG
AEG stands for Automatic Electric Guns. It is one of the most known airsoft acronyms. AEGs are electric powered guns that use batteries, motors, and gears to fire BBs and provide high velocity and high ROF (rate of fire).
AEP
AEP stands for Automatic Electric Pistol. Operates similarly to an AEG.
AOE
AOE stands for Angle of Engagement and is the angle at which the first tooth of the sector gear engages the first tooth on the piston. This angle must be tuned correctly to avoid unnecessary strain on the piston. The first tooth of sector gear must make as much contact as possible with the first tooth of the piston which allows the piston to carry much more weight, and last much longer.
ARL
ARL stands for Anti Reversal Latch and it prevents your airsoft replica gears and motor from spinning in the wrong direction.
Barrel
The barrel is a hollow metal tube of a gun that the projectile travels through. The barrel is one of the most important factors for the accuracy of a gun.
Barrel Cover
Barrel cover or „barrel bags” are used to cover the barrel of your gun and is recommended or even required by some fields when you’re not playing.
BB
BB is an acronym for Ball Bearing and is the ammunition used in airsoft. They are round plastic projectiles and are usually 6 mm or 8 mm in diameter with various weights ranging from 0.20g to 0.45g+. Not to be confused with BB guns.
BBU
BBU stands for Blowback Unit. It’s the internal part in a GBB and GBBR that causes the recoil.
BDU
BDU is an acronym for Battle Dress Uniform. Standard military uniform used in combat.
Blowback
Blowback in airsoft is basically a recoil, which is added to give the replica a more realistic feel when shooting. There are different types, like GBB (Gas Blowback) and EBB (Electric Blowback). GBB is available on gas-powered replicas while EBB on electric airsoft guns (AEG). GBB provides a more realistic feel and better sound.
Carbine
Carbine is a rifle with a shorter barrel or shortened version of a full-length rifle.
Chrono
Chrono or short for Chronometer is a device used to measure the projectile speed of airsoft guns.
Clip
The clip is another name for the magazine used for holding airsoft BBs.
CO2
CO2 is Carbon Dioxide, a gas used to power airsoft guns which is more powerful than green gas.
CQB
CQB is an acronym for Close Quarters Battle. CQB is a short, high-intensity type of airsoft game played in close quarters in which the objective is to eliminate the other team. Engagement distances are usually under 30 feet while FPS is limited to a max of 300 – 350.
Dead Man Walking
A term used to describe a player who has been hit and is leaving the combat zone.
DMR
DMR stands for Designated Marksman Rifle and it is a semi-automatic long-range rifle designed for increased accuracy at longer ranges.
EBB
EBB is an acronym for Electric Blow Back. EBB offers recoil on AEGs but it’s not realistic as GBB mechanism and doesn’t provide the satisfying sound as GBB does.
FPS
FPS stands for Feet Per Second and it is a measure used to describe airsoft gun projectile speed or muzzle velocity and it can vary depending on the type of gun. It’s the speed at which a BB leaves an airsoft gun’s barrel. If you’re interested does FPS affect the accuracy and range of your airsoft replica or how much does it actually matter in airsoft check our article What’s The Highest FPS Airsoft Gun And Does FPS Even Matter?
Flash Hider
Flash hider is a muzzle attachment whose purpose is to reduce visible muzzle flash caused by the burning propellant.
Full Auto
Full Auto is an acronym for Full Automatic. When you squeeze and hold the trigger it will result in the constant firing until all the ammo is exhausted.
GBB
GBB is an acronym for Gas Blowback. GBB airsoft guns use gas to fire the BBs and simulate recoil when shooting.
GBBR
GBBR stands for Gas Blow-Back Rifle. GBBR is a full-size rifle powered by gas that simulates recoil.
Gearbox
The gearbox is the internal set of parts (gears, piston, spring) of an AEG.
Green Gas
Green Gas is a propane-silicone oil mixture used to power airsoft gas guns, both GBB and NBB.
High Cap
High Cap stands for High Capacity magazines which hold BBs. High Cap magazines usually contain from 200 or 300 BBs up to 1000 BBs and more.
Hop-Up
Hop-Up is an acronym for High Operation Power Up. Hop-Up is a mechanism that creates a back-spin effect on airsoft BBs to increase their range and accuracy through a Magnus effect.
HPA
HPA stands for High-Pressure Air and it is a mechanism that powers a gun by using compressed air from an external tank. HPA guns can have an adjustable FPS and ROF.
Low-Cap
Just like High-Cap stands for high capacity, Low-Cap is an acronym for Low Capacity Magazine. Contains less than 100 rounds.
LPEG
LPEG stands for a Low-powered electric gun. These are less powerful and less expensive versions of AEGs that fire at lower velocities.
Magazine
The magazine is a fixed or removable part that holds airsoft ammunition (BBs).
MED
MED stands for Minimum Engagement Distance and is the minimum distance from which you can shoot at your opponents.
Mid-Cap
Mid-Cap stands for Mid Capacity Magazines. They usually contain between 100 to 200 rounds which is more than Low-Cap but less than High-Cap magazines.
MilSim
MilSim is a shortcut for Military Simulation and is a type of airsoft game. MilSim is a more serious, strategic, and slower-paced objective-based game modeled after real military scenarios.
MPEG
MPEG stands for Mid Powered Electric Guns. Less powerful but also cheaper than standard AEGs.
MPS
MPS stands for Meters Per Second and is basically the same as FPS. But whiles some countries, like the United States, use FPS, some countries that are using the Metric System, uses MPS (1 FPS = . 0.3048 MPS).
NBB
NBB is an acronym for Non-Blow-Back. Gas-powered airsoft guns that do not have a blowback function.
NPAS
NPAS stands for Negative Pressure Air System and it is used in a GBBR to regulate FPS.
Overhop
Overhop describes when hop up of an airsoft gun is turned up too much causing too much backspin which results in the BBs fly upwards.
Parlay
When two opposing players meet at a distance shorter than minimum engagement distance, instead of shooting, they should call “parlay” and back off to the safe distance. It should be used to ensure the safety of you and other players.
Plinking (Plink)
Plinking refers to shooting with a low powered airsoft gun at targets or tin cans.
POA, POI
POA stands for Point of Aim while POI describes for Point of Impact (location on a player’s body hit by a BB).
RIS
RIS stands for Rail Interface System. RIS, also known as RAS or ‘a Weaver Rail’, is a flat, slatted rail that enables attachments of various accessories like laser, light, grip, etc.
RS / Real Steel
RS stands for Real Steel and it is used to describe real-world equivalent of an airsoft replica gun.
ROF
ROF is an acronym for the Rate of Fire. ROF refers to the number of BBs fired from an airsoft gun over a set period of time. Usually measured in rounds per second (RPS) but it can be also measured in rounds per minute (RPM).
RPM
RPM is an acronym for Rounds Per Minute. RPM refers to the number of BBs fired from an airsoft gun per minute.
RPS
RPS is an acronym for Round Per Second. RPM refers to the number of BBs fired from an airsoft gun per second.
Semi-Auto
Semi-Auto stands for Semi-Automatic. Fires a single shot with each squeeze of the trigger without having to manually reload on each shot.
Slide
Slide is the primary moving section of an automatic gun. It is a top half of semi-automatic pistol but it can also be hidden inside a gun like it’s the case with rifles and SMGs.
Springer
Springer is an acronym for Spring-Powered Airsoft Guns and it is a type of airsoft gun powered manually by a spring. It is a single-shot weapon that needs to be cocked manually after each shot.
V1, V2, V2.5, V3, V4, V5, V6, V7, V8
Refers to the version of an AEGs gearbox. V1 was designed by Tokyo Marui for their FAMAS rifles, V2 is the most common AEG gearbox design used in M16, G3, and MP5, V3 is used in AK, G36 UMP, and AUG. V4 and V5 are a rare types of gearboxes.
Velocity
Velocity is a speed of airsoft gun projectile or BB. Measured in FPS or MPS.
Weaver Rail
Weaver Rail is a type of accessory mounting system like RIS. But it is an older rail system than RIS with slightly different dimensions but many RIS/RAS accessories can be fitted to a Weaver rail.
Conclusion
This list should help you get familiar with airsoft terms and acronyms regardless if you’re a new or experienced player. We hope that you found all the information you were looking for and if not, you can contact us via the contact form or send us an email and we’ll be glad to help you.
