Do Airsoft Guns Have Recoil?

Yesterday my 15-year old nephew, who never played airsoft, visited me and I gave him my AEG to shoot in a backyard. Although he was only shooting at targets he had a lot of fun and started asking me different questions regarding airsoft. Among others, he asked me why do airsoft guns have no recoil? And this is a question I heard many people are asking. Do Airsoft guns have recoil?

Actually, airsoft guns do have a recoil every time you shoot a BB, but on the most airsoft guns, it may be too light you won’t even notice it. But if you buy GBB, which stands for Gas Blowback Airsoft Gun you’ll get a pretty nice recoil. Another option is to buy EBB, which stands for Electric Blow Back and is used in AEGs, but note that it is mostly a far cry from GBB and provides lesser recoil experience.

If you’re confused by all the acronyms and want to learn more, like what AEG or GBBR is, we suggest that you check out our article Airsoft Glossary: 55 Airsoft Terms You Should Know. If not, continue reading to learn what recoil is, why most guns don’t have noticeable recoil and what airsoft guns have the most realistic recoil.

What Is Recoil? Why Do Most Airsoft Guns Have No Noticeable Recoil?

Recoil or kickback as it often called is the backward movement of a gun caused by momentum. According to Newton’s third law, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

So on real weapons when a round is fired, an explosion happens inside of the barrel which pushes the bullet out and an equal amount of force has to go somewhere. Most of it goes in the exact opposite direction, into the gun itself. When you fire with a real firearm considerable amount of energy is released resulting in that kickback feeling. When the airsoft gun is fired, that amount of energy is so small that the resulting recoil is so light and insignificant that most people don’t even notice it.

Airsoft Guns With Realistic Recoil

If you were wondering do all airsoft guns have realistic recoil, the answer is no. As we said on most airsoft guns you won’t even notice it.

There are three types of airsoft guns – spring, electric, and gas. Spring-powered guns, or springers, doesn’t have recoil. The same goes for most electric airsoft guns or AEGs and for some gas-powered guns. But if you want a recoil on your airsoft gun you have two options – EBB which stands for Electric Blow Back, or GBB which stands for Gas Blowback Airsoft Gun.

In GBB guns, the gas build-up in airsoft gun which pushes pellet out, results in a nice kick-back feeling or recoil. The biggest disadvantage is that gas systems are more expensive as they require frequent replacement of the chambers. Also, they are not the most reliable options during colder temperatures. The gas-powered mechanism is usually used in pistols and some high-end rifles and shotguns. GBBR is a Gas Blow-Back Rifle which is a full-size rifle powered by gas that simulates recoil.

Electric guns are battery-powered Airsoft guns, more known as AEG, and are the most popular and common type of airsoft gun. They are cheaper and more affordable than gas-powered guns. If you want AEG with recoil get EBB gun. It will provide a recoil, but it mostly can’t compare with GBB as GBB gives you a more realistic feeling and provides a better sound when shooting. Also EBB uses up battery life quicker than in non-EBB AEGs since you need to power all the moving parts.

I read some positive reviews on BOLT B.R.S.S. AEGs but based on experiences from regular people they shared on forums it seems Bolt guns with recoil does provide you with a nice feeling but are not reliable at all and tend to break. Some people are recommending Tokyo Marui AEGs with recoil but personally, if I wanted a recoil with my airsoft gun I would just pick a GBB or GBBR.

Can You Add Recoil To Airsoft Gun? Can I Make My Airsoft Gun Recoil Harder?

If you were asking yourself can I just add recoil to my airsoft gun or can I make my airsoft gun recoil harder, the answer is it depends. Personally, I never tried it but I did a research and it seems you can buy a recoil kit for some guns that increases the recoil feel like Angry Gun recoil kits or Tremors recoil kits. But you need to replace the old parts with the kit in order to work. Also, these kits are not compatible with all guns so if you decide to buy it be careful and check can you install it on your airsoft gun. But from what I gathered it seems it’s just not worth it. A better option is to sell your non-recoil gun and buy a decent GBBR rifle or keep your existing rifle and just buy a GBB pistol as a secondary gun.

Angry Gun Recoil Kit

Here are some recoil kits that I found:

• Angry Gun Adjustable Stainless Steel Super Recoil Kit for WA M4 GBB
• Angry Gun Stainless Steel Super Recoil Buffer Kit for VFC SR25 ECC – Hardkick Version
• Angry Gun Aluminum Super Recoil Buffer Kit for VFC SR25 ECC – High Speed Version
• Angry Gun Super Recoil Kit for Airsoft GBB Rifles (Type: WE-Tech M4 Series)
• Modify Tremors II Recoil Action Kit for Front-Wired M4 Airsoft AEG Rifles
• Tremors 2 Recoil System for M4 Carbine

What AEG’s Have The Most Realistic Recoil?

Electric Blowback guns (EBB) add the recoil but with some cost. You see, with EBB it’s more moving parts and bigger chance something will break inside your gun. Additionally, they’re also louder than regular AEGs, but still don’t provide you with a satisfying sound like a GBB. However, If you still decided to go with an EBB AEG here are a couple of rifles we recommend.

Although there are a couple of companies that are making this kind of airsoft guns, like  KWA, PTS, or Bolt, they are not that reliable and some of them have durability issues. Probably the best choice would be to pick some EBB AEG from Japanese manufacturer Tokyo Marui which guns are known for quality and reliability. They are also one of the first manufacturers with a built-in recoil system in airsoft guns. Tokyo Marui’s NGRS or Next Generation Recoil Shock System provides you with probably the best recoil you can get from AEG. But they are also more expensive than most other EBB guns.

So without further ado, here are the best electric recoil airsoft guns.

Tokyo Marui Next Generation Recoil Shock System SCAR-L

Tokyo Marui NGRS SCAR-L uses their proprietary Next Generation Recoil Shock system to simulate recoil, shoots at around 280FPS with a magazine that can hold 82 rounds and weighs around 3.3kg. It is one of the best electronic recoil AEGs on the market with great accuracy and range like it is the case with most Tokyo Marui guns.

Features

• Heavy duty nylon fiber reinforced lower receiver with CNC machined aluminum upper receiver w/ fully licensed FN Herstal trademarks
• Uses Marui’s proprietary Next Generation Recoil Shock system (NGRS) to simulate recoil and muzzle flip
• Adjustable 6 position folding stock w/ cheek riser
• Full length Picatinny top rail with additional rails at the 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions
• Flip up front and rear sights
• FPS: 280 with 0.20g BBs
• Length: 720mm – 790mm (28.34″ – 31.1″) Adjustable / 540mm (21.25″) Folded
• Weight: 3060g (6.75lbs)
• Magazine Capacity: 82rd Mid-Capacity magazine (Tokyo Marui NEXTGEN magazines)
• Fire Modes: Semi/Full-Auto, Safety
• Battery: 9.6v Small Type Battery
• Adjustable Hopup

Tokyo Marui HK417 Early Variant NGRS

This full metal AEG from Tokyo Marui is a beefed-up version of the TM416. It comes with a standard Tokyo Marui 70 round magazine, weighs around 4.5 kg, and shoots at around 280 FPS. It also uses Tokyo Marui’s Next Generation Recoil Shock system to simulate recoil without sacrificing accuracy and range.

Features

• Variable hop-up system
• Shoot & recoil engine
• Fire modes: full-auto, semi-auto
• Length: 921 mm / 998 mm (at stock extension)
• Weight: 4,500 g

Tokyo Marui NGRS Colt Licensed M4 AEG Rifle

One more gun from Tokyo Marui that uses their NGRS system to simulate recoil comes with Mid-Cap magazine that holds 82 round magazine, weighs around 2.8 kg, and shoots at around 280 FPS.

Features

• Heavy duty cast aluminum upper receiver w/ fully licensed Colt trademarks
• Adjustable 6 position stock w/ storage compartment
• Picatinny top rail w/ quad rail handguard for mounting optics and tactical accessories
• Removable rear sight
• Removable stubby vertical grip
• Adjustable length: 700mm – 780mm (27.56″ – 30.71″)
• Weight: 2940g (6.48lbs)
• Magazine Capacity: 82rd Mid-Capacity magazine (Tokyo Marui NEXTGEN magazines)
• Muzzle Velocity: ~280 FPS with 0.20g BBs
• Fire Modes: Semi/Full-Auto, Safety
• Adjustable hopup

GBLS DAS Dynamic Action System GDR15 Blowback

This one comes from South Korean manufacturer GBLS  and utilizes their groundbreaking Dynamic Action System (DAS for short) which is an electronically powered rifle that provides realistic blowback. It weighs 3kg, shoots at around 380 FPS, and can hold 60 rounds. It provides you with noticeable recoil, even little more than Tokyo Marui’s NGRS and decent accuracy and range although not on the same level as Tokyo Marui’s guns. But keep in mind that this is a pretty expensive airsoft replica with a price of around $1700.

Features

• Extremely realistic blowback
• Full PTS Centurion Arms rail system
• Optimized Prometheus 6.03mm inner barrel mated to a WA style hopup chamber
• Steel toothed bolt
• PTS Centurion Arms RIS, PTS motor grip, and PTS stock
• Matte black Cerakote finish on the receiver with DAS trademarks
• Muzzle velocitiy: 370-390 FPS
• Adjustable length: 808mm – 873mm
• Weight: 3000g (2.2lbs)
• Magazine Capacity: 60rds
• Fire Modes: Full/Semi-Auto, Safety
• Adjustable hopup

KWA RM4A1 ERG AEG3 Airsoft AEG Rifle

This AEG uses AEG 3 system and KWAs patented Kinetic Feedback System to give you a noticeable recoil. By the way, KWA was the first company that popularized recoil in AEGs with their RM4 airsoft replica. It weighs around 3.2 kg and shoots at around 400 FPS. Maybe it’s not on the same level as Tokyo Marui’s and GBLS GDR15 guns but it is also noticeable cheaper.

Features

• • Electronic Recoil system mimics GBBR style blowback in a reliable AEG platform
  • Full metal receiver and barrel assembly
  • Quick change spring system makes changing FPS quick and easy
  • High speed gear set provides shooter with a high rate of fire
  • Polymer furniture with PTS EPG grip
  • Muzzle velocity: 400 FPS
  • Length: 825.5 – 908.1
  • Weight: 3220g

• Magazine Capacity: 30/120rd Mid Capacity
• Fire Modes: Semi/Full-Auto, Safety
• Adjustable hopup

Which GBB Or GBBR Should I Choose For The Most Realistic Recoil?

As we already said, if you want a recoil maybe it’s better to pick up gas-powered guns or GBB than EBB AEG. But little disclaimer – we’re not comparing regular AEG vs GBB here. They both have their pros and cons that we’ll cover in another article. Here we’re talking about recoil.

And if it’s the right kind of GBB, the recoil you’ll get will be better than with EBB. But if you’re a beginner I suggest you get AEG and try it out before switching to gas-powered guns. If you decide to get GBB/ GBBR there are a couple of manufacturers that are recommended by airsoft players – WE-Tech, Tokyo Marui, and GHK.

WE Tech have maybe the most diverse set of GBBRs. They’re also the cheapest while providing pretty realistic replicas. Unfortunately, their guns are not the most reliable and performance is not on the same level as Tokyo Marui’s or GHK’s guns. Tokyo Marui is Japanese manufacturer known for quality, reliability and performance of their replicas. Unfortunately, as far as I know, they only offer one single platform (M4) right now. GHK is a Taiwanese manufacturer which GBB guns give some of the best performances and also pretty reliable.

So without further ado, let’s take a look at some GBB and GBBR airsoft guns with the highest recoil.

GHK G5 GBBR Airsoft Rifle

This extremely compact and light airsoft replica, weighs only 2kg and shoots around 350 FPS and comes with 40 rounds magazine. GHK G5 kicks like a mule and it’s pretty loud.

Features

• DuPont High Strength Polymer Construction
• Full Metal Internal hard-kick and reliable blowback system
• Front RIS Assembly great for Tactical Accessories
• Retractable Side-folding Stock
• Flip-up Front and Rear Sights
• Integrated Bolt Lock Function
• Full Length Top Rail
• Realistic Hard Recoil
• Muzzle velocity: 350-370 FPS
• Adjustable length: 465mm / 630mm-690mm
• Weight: 1980g
• Magazine Capacity: 40rds
• Fire Modes: Semi/Full-Auto, Safety
• Adjustable hopup

WE-Tech Desert Eagle .50 AE Full Metal Gas Blowback Airsoft Pistol / Tokyo Marui Desert Eagle .50AE Hard Kick GBB Pistol

WE-Tech’s hand cannon kicks pretty hard, has an adjustable hop-up, shoots at around 368 FPS, has 21 rounds magazine and it is pretty loud. You can also check Desert Eagle from Tokyo Marui which shoots at „only“ 260 FPS but Tokyo Marui is known for outperforming many competitors even with lower FPS guns.

Features

• Full metal frame and slide mimics the weight and feel of Magnum Researches iconic hand cannon
• Full licensed trademarks and markings provide a level of detail rarely seen on other replcias
• Realistic blowback action provides a healthy kick and an impressive display of performance
• Injection molded polymer grip panels with Desert Eagle markings
• Functioning safety and magazine release
• Realistic field stripping
• 21 round magazine
• Muzzle velocity: 368 FPS
• Gas Type: Green Gas, Red Gas, Propane
• Firing Mode: Semi Automatic, Safety
• Adjustable hopup

GHK AUG A2 Gas Blow Back Rifle

Known for the build quality of their replicas, GHK brings us this loud bullpup gun with pretty hard-kicking recoil. It shoots at around 380 FPS, it’s magazine can hold 30 rounds and has an adjustable hop-up. Unfortunately, it’s not so easy to acquire one these days so you can also check GHK Gas Blowback AUG A1 Airsoft Rifle available on Evike.com.

GHK SG 553 GBBR Airsoft Rifle

This replica from GHK isn’t a perfect one but it is still one of the best GBBR you can get. It’s fun to shoot, it has pretty good out-of-the-box accuracy, weighs around 3kg, shots at around 395 FPS and its magazine can take 32 rounds.

Features

• Steel body construction with polymer furniture
• Manganese phosphate surface treatment plus CERAKOTE coating of the body
• Integrated steel barrel plus steel gas tube
• Folding butt stock for easy and compact storage
• Flip-up front and rear iron sights
• Realistic field strip
• Authentic spec of handguards and grip
• Firing modes: Semi, three round burst, full auto.
• Muzzle velocity: 370-395 FPS
• Length: 480mm-740mm (Folding stock)
• Weight: 3050g (With magazine)
• Magazine capacity: 32 rounds
• Gas Type: Green Gas
• Adjustable hopup

There are actually many very good or great GBB / GBBR airsoft guns out there to cover it properly in this article. We just wanted to point you in the right direction if you’re looking for something with decent recoil. You can also check WE-Tech Open Bolt M4, VFC MK18 GBBR, KWA LM4 PTR KR9 GBBR, Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa 5.1 GBB, Umarex Glock 17 GBB or KWA M9 PTP GBB.

Conclusion

I hope you found all the information you were looking for. We learned what recoil is, why most airsoft guns don’t have noticeable recoil, which airsoft replicas provide you with most realistic recoil, and gave you a couple of examples of GBB and EBB replicas with satisfying recoil experience.