In today’s post, I wanted to talk about airsoft tracer units which are pretty popular in the airsoft community especially if you play in dark conditions. So keep reading to find out what airsoft tracer unit is, what does it do, and how does it work.
Airsoft tracer units are cylindrical attachments for airsoft guns which makes BBs glow in dark making it easier for player to see where his BBs are flying in low light. But keep in mind they won’t work with any BBs. You need tracer BBs which are coated with a layer of phosphorus.
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What Is An Airsoft Tracer Unit And What Does It Do?
Airsoft tracer unit is an attachment for an airsoft gun that often looks like an airsoft suppressor or silencer although it doesn’t reduce the noise in any way. Tracer unit makes your BBs glow in dark making it easier for you to see where your BBs are flying. This is especially helpful in dark conditions as it gives you a tactical advantage over your opponents.
They are often used in CQB or MilSim types of airsoft games, as CQB sites often have dim lighting, and MilSim games are often played at night.
How Does An Airsoft Tracer Unit Work?
As we already said airsoft tracer units won’t work with regular BBs. They only work with tracer BBs, a special type of BBs, which are coated with a layer of phosphor. The Airsoft tracer unit contains a UV LEDs and motion sensor. When you press a trigger BBs will pass through the tracer unit which will charge the phosphor using the row of ultraviolet lights inside the unit. This will cause BBs to glow and leave a trail as they leave the barrel. Airsoft tracer units run on batteries, some of them use plain old AAA batteries and some have a built-in battery that you can charge with a normal AC charger.
What Are Different Types of Airsoft Tracer Units?
We can say there are three types of airsoft tracer units. First one we can call traditional tracer units and are the ones that look like a suppressor and attaches to the end of the barrel. These are the most common tracer units.
Then there are tracer units that can be implemented internally. They are installed inside the gun near the hop-up and work on the same principle as those that are mounted on the end of the barrel. They have some advantages and disadvantages over traditional tracer units. The main disadvantage of these types of tracer units is that they are harder to replace as you need to disassembly your replica and they are not suited for airsoft guns with high FPS. The main advantage is that it makes your replica’s barrel length shorter.
The third type of tracer unit is the one attached to the magazine so tracer BBs are charged when they enter the feeding tube of the magazine.
Tracer BBs
As we already said, for tracer units to work you’ll need a specific type of BBs, called tracers. The difference between the tracer and regular BBs is that the tracer BBs are coated with a layer of phosphor that allows the BB to glow in the dark once it passes through the airsoft tracer unit.
Of course, tracer BBs are more expensive than regular ones so don’t waste them unnecessarily. If you play during the day switch to regular BBs and turn off the tracer unit.
If you were wondering are there tracer BBs with different weights, the answer is yes. If you prefer heavier BBs, no problem as you can get a variety of tracer BBs from 0.20g to 0.32g. Also same as with regular BBs, you can get tracer BBs that are biodegradable.
Do Airsoft Tracer Units Work In the Daytime?
As we already said, tracer units make your BBs glow in dark and are mostly used in an indoor CQB (Close Quarter Battle) fields, at the night or in the evening. They will not be very effective during the day as you will struggle to see the glow.
So using an airsoft tracer unit during the daytime is kind of useless. But most airsoft tracers have an on/off switch so you can easily switch it off if you’re playing during the day or if you’re playing stealthy and don’t want to give away your position. This way you won’t unnecessarily drain the batteries in your tracer unit. And also don’t forget to change the ammo type from the tracer to regular BBs as tracer BBs are more expensive so you don’t want to waste them unnecessarily.
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Using A Tracer Unit?
Using an airsoft tracer unit definitely has some benefits but also a couple of negatives.
First, they are really helpful in dark conditions and give you a tactical advantage as you can more easily see where your BBs are flying. The second benefit is better communication with your team in the heat of the battle. When you spot an enemy you can fire a couple of tracer rounds in his direction thus revealing his position to your teammates.
They are also good for suppressing fire as your opponents will more likely keep their heads down knowing their position is revealed to who knows how many enemy players.
As you know airsoft game relies on an honor system. Each participant is expected for calling themselves out when hit. Sometimes players do not call themselves out. It might be that they didn’t realize they were hit or maybe they are lying to stay in the game. Using tracer units can reduce the number of these cases as it is pretty clear where your BBs are flying so it’s much harder for your opponent to deny he was hit with.
The main disadvatage of using a tracer unit is pretty obvious – you’re giving away your position to the opponents. Secondly, traditional tracer units, the ones that are mounted on the end of the barrel, will add to the length of your replica which is something that you don’t want if you play CQB.
Can I Just Reuse Tracer BBs?
If you were wondering can I reuse tracer BBs, the answer is no. In fact, you shouldn’ reuse any BBs in your airsoft gun as it could jam or damage your replica. Used BBs can have scratches, dirt, or dents on them and while you could clean them they could still be deformed so it is not recommended to reuse them in your airsoft replica. Regular BBs are cheap so don’t risk damaging your gearbox, hop up, or the inner barrel just to save a few bucks.
Additionally, tracer BBs are coated with a layer of phosphor and once tracer BB is fired and goes through the tracer unit, phosphor will burn off.
If you want to reuse BBs then it is better to use them for traps – put them in a grenade or a claymore. Also if you own a springer you could clean used BBs and use them with this type of airsoft guns as they don’t have a gearbox so a chance of a problem is minimal. But still, I would advise against it.
What Are The Best Airsoft Tracer Units?
Airsoft tracer units can vary in price, from around $50 for a budget tracer unit to around $150 for a more serious tracer unit. So if you decided to get one, there are a couple of things you need to know before spending your money. First, be careful before purchasing as some tracer units are universal while others can be used with only a specific manufacturer’s airsoft gun. Also, you should check does tracer unit you intend to buy has a long battery life – the best tracer units feature rechargeable lithium batteries and can last for around 20,000 rounds before recharging. Check the build quality and durability as you will use tracer unit at night or in dark conditions so there is a chance they may get banged up a bit. So make sure they won’t easily break.
In one of the next articles, we’ll bring you a list of best airsoft tracer units, but for now, we can recommend you to get some of the Xcortech (like Xcortech XT301 Mini Tracer Unit or XCORTECH Airsoft Tracer Unit Torch Glow Night BB’S HIGH Speed and Quality XT501) or Acetech (like ACETECH Lighter BT Airsoft Gun 14mm/11mm Pistol Tracer Unit) tracer units which are pretty reliable and high quality.
Summary
Tracer units provide some definite advantages for airsoft players especially if you play in dark conditions as they illuminate your pellets so you can see where your BBs are flying. They are also good for suppressing fire and improve communication with your team in the heat of the battle.
