Springfield Airsoft

Copyright© 2003. All Rights reserved

Safety is critical to the future of Airsoft. Bad press and negative publicity has caused the hobby to come under much scrutiny. Many states and municipalities have banned Airsoft altogether in response to such incidents. The so-called Violence Policy Center, which has also borne the names "The National Coalition to Ban Handguns" and "Handgun Control, Inc." has listed the banning of replica firearms as part of its agenda.

A politician displays Airsoft guns he wants to ban. Do you want him to be successful?

The purpose of this manual is give you, the Airsoft player, good advice about how to play Airsoft safely and legally. By following a simple safety rules and good common sense, you can help ensure our hobby will be around for a long time, and protect it from people who want to destroy it.

When it comes to safety, the same rules that apply to real-steel guns also apply to Airsoft. These rules are often credited to Col. Jeff Cooper, a veteran of the US Marines who served in World War 2. Cooper later went on to found the prestigious Gunsite shooting academy, and has served on the board of the National Rifle Association.

1. Every gun is always loaded. Just because you "think" a gun is empty, doesn’t mean it is. You should always assume your gun is loaded, and treat it like it could fire at any time.

2. Never point your gun at anything you don’t want to shoot. On the field during a game you may want to shoot an enemy player - so of course it’s okay to aim at them then. But you don’t want to shoot your buddy in his/her unprotected eye in the staging area, do you? Keep your gun pointed in a safe direction at all times, no matter what you are doing.

decided to fire. 99% of all accidental discharges of firearms happen because someone pulled the trigger when they didn’t intend to. You can prevent an accidental discharge by keeping your finger off the trigger (outside of the trigger guard) until you are ready to shoot.

4. Be sure of your target and what it beyond it. What will you hit if you miss the target? A plate glass window? An unprotected bystander? A member of your own team? Before firing your gun, be sure to positively identify your target and consider what you might hit if you miss. If it’s too risky, don’t take the shot.

Col. Jeff Cooper, US Marines, Retired

An Airsoft gun is considered "loaded" when a magazine is inserted into the magazine well. The donning of eye protection is mandatory prior to loading your weapon. Weapons may be loaded under the following circumstances:

1. The "Lock and Load" command is given by a Ref or authorized unit commander.

2. A player has entered the playing field (crossed the Ready Line).

You are free to unload your gun at any time, however you MUST unload it under these circumstances:

1. Directed to do so by a Ref or authorized unit commander.

2. PRIOR to leaving the playing field.

Gun safety Rule #1 is: "Treat every gun as if it were loaded." While this certainly applies, it's important to understand how to properly unload your gun. A common cause of accidental discharges is the assumption that a gun was unloaded.

To ensure you always unload your weapon properly, adhere to the following procedures:

1. Remove magazine and store in a pocket or magazine pouch.

2. Set selector to "Semi-Auto."

3. With the gun pointed in a safe direction, fire 1-2 shots to ensure the chamber is clear and to relax the spring.

4. Set selector to safe.

1. Remove magazine and store in a pocket or magazine pouch.

2. Check the chamber to make sure it's clear, and remove any BB's in the chamber. Use of a clearing rod is recommended.

3. With the gun pointed in a safe direction, dry fire the gun to make sure it's empty.

4. Set the safety and holster or case the gun.

1. Remove magazine and store in a pocket or magazine pouch.

2. With the gun pointed in a safe direction, dry fire the gun to make sure it's empty.

3. Set the safety.

Goggles are the most essential item in your Airsoft inventory. Playing without goggles is just plain stupid! If you are shot in the eye, you can count on losing your sight - and if the gun is powerful enough, a penetrating eye wound could cause death.

The players on the left are an excellent example of what not to do. While this photo may be posed, it’s still very stupid to take risks like this. If nothing else, it sets a bad example for other Airsofters and brings disrepute upon the hobby.

Good goggles are easy to get. Any goggles rated for paintball use are acceptable. In order for goggles to be suitable for Airsoft, they must meet the following standards:

Full Face Mask- This item should be required when playing CQB or other games where players may come into close contact. A full face mask protects your ears, mouth, nose, and other soft tissue from BB impact. People have broken their teeth when they were shot in the mouth! Full face protection is required at many paintball fields.

Balaclava- A cloth head mask, or balaclava, can provide you with some additional skin protection if you are hit. Not to be confused with baklava, which is a tasty Greek pastry.

Gloves- One of the most painful places to take a hit is to the fingers. A direct hit from an upgraded AEG can break your finger! Paintball and tactical gloves can help ease the pain of such hits, and protect you from field hazards (such as thorn bushes, barbed wire, etc) as well.

Hat- A hat keeps the sun off, brush out of your hair, and provides limited shot protection.

Boots- Give good ankle support during movement over rough ground. A military-style 8" combat boot is recommended.

Knee & elbow pads- Can protect your joints if you have to hit the deck in a hurry, or while laying in the prone for an extended period of time.

Leave wildlife alone. Messing with wildlife can bring the sport into disrepute, and may violate Minnesota Hunting Law.

Sunscreen and bug repellent are nice to have.

Long sleeves and pants not only will help camouflage you, but will also protect you from cuts & scrapes and ease the pain of hits.

With good-quality hydration systems and canteens available, there is not excuse for not having water in the field.

During summertime games, you need to plan on drinking 1 quart of water for each hour of activity. (1qt = 32oz).

Even in the wintertime, you can get dehydrated! Be sure to drink plenty of water, no matter what the temperature.

Caffeine and sodas will remove nutrients from your body that you need to prevent heat-related illnesses.

Remember the "Golden Rule": If you're wondering whether you're getting dehydrated, there's one easy and gross way to tell: how clear is your pee? It should be light yellow, or better yet, clear. If it's a darker yellow, drink more.

Sweat is your body's method of controlling your temperature. Wearing loose (or less) clothing makes it easier for your body to control excess heat. Don't wear too much. Some players occasionally wear jeans under their BDU's for more "padding" - this is an invitation to disaster, as it traps body heat and warms you up very quickly.

The BDU uniform is designed to fit loosely and is made of light, but durable fabric to help cool the body. Hunting camo, however, is typically designed to keep you warm and doesn't breathe well (because most hunting seasons are during cold weather).

Remember, there is "heat" and there is "humidity." If you're facing actual heat, then it's better to remain covered. A loose BDU is great, because the sun can't heat the air that's inside the BDU, thus it remains cool. Loose, but covering clothing also protects you from direct sunlight on exposed skin. This is why you see so many robes, also called abas in Middle Eastern countries.

However, if it's humid (i.e. more water in the air), you should consider opening your garments so your body can exchange its heat more efficiently.

Heat Cramps- Cramping, combined with the above symptoms.

Heat Stroke- warm, flushed skin, and no sweating. Body temperature may be as high as 106'F. This is a true medical emergency.

Consider packing ice or pouring cool water on their body to reduce the body temperature (go easy though, don't shock the system). Do not apply ice to bare skin - wrap or bag the ice first. The victim needs to re-hydrate and rest. If the symptoms persist, call Emergency Medical Services.

Trained medical personnel may use an IV to treat heat injuries as well.

If you follow some basic rules, you can reduce or eliminate your chances of injury.

1) Don't overdo it. - Be responsible with yourself and know when to call it a day or to sit down and take a break. We are not all real soldiers who are in great shape.

2) Drink fluids, but not alcohol or caffine. Caffinated soda is one of the worst things you can drink on the field. You are actually contributing to dehydration. Drink water or a sports drink.

3) Get some sleep the night before and avoid partying too much. Playing when you are hung-over is not reccommended because it means you are already dehydrated (that's why you have such a terrible headache) and that's a bad way to start out.

4) Eat a good-sized breakfast with lots of carbs in it. This will help kick start your metabolism.

5) Don't ignore or be too proud to recognize signs and symptoms of trouble. If you feel nauseous, get cooled off and relax. If you have a headache, drink lots of water. If you are locking up badly, relax and eat something.

6) Eat bananas. The Potassium will help you avoid cramps.

7) Stretch beforehand. Just like any other sport, this one takes a lot of muscles you may not be used to using. It pays to stretch them out before you go running around shooting stuff.

8) Prepare for the elements. Wear bug spray, bring rain gear (if cold), wear high-top shoes and tie your laces tightly. Basically just think about what the environment is like and be preapred for the worst case scenario.

9) Communicate clearly and honestly how you are feeling when someone asks. If you feel tired or sick in any way, let your buddy or commander know immediately. (Never leave a sick person alone.)

10) No drugs, ever! Drugs impare your judgement and dulls your senses. If you are ill, you may not know it and that can be deadly.

Special Thanks to Sir Steve "GunnyKnight" Monthony of the MAA for these comments.

Because Airsoft guns share characteristics of "air guns", "BB guns", and "Replica Firearms" as defined by Minnesota statues, they are subject to statutes covering all three definitions.

Consider this: do you honestly believe that, in a court of law, you could convince a judge that your Airsoft gun was not a "Replica Firearm", "Air Gun" or "BB Gun?" And are you prepared to spend the legal fees, risk a criminal record, and loss of your Airsoft gun to prove it?

You are much better off working within the law, rather than trying to challenge it. You can save yourself and the sport a lot of hassle.

Having an orange tip on your gun won’t keep you from getting shot if you point it at a police officer (see the Miles case below).

Criminals have been known to paint real guns orange to fool the police. From a law enforcement training bulletin:

This RED-PAINTED, fully operational, .45-caliber Haskell semiautomatic pistol was recovered by two Pima Co. (AZ) Deputies after they conducted a high risk traffic stop. The suspect, who was wearing a red shirt and had red shoelaces refused to explain why the gun was painted red or if he was affiliated with a gang.

It is a felony in Minnesota for a minor (person under 18) to purchase an Airsoft gun without written permission from their parents. It is also a felony to sell a minor an Airsoft gun without written permission from the minor’s parents.

It is also a felony for any minor under age 14 to posses an Airsoft gun. This is why the MAA has an age limit of 14 and older for membership.

Whether you like it or not, if you are a minor (under 18), your parents have the legal right to allow you to play Airsoft or not. The MAA will not assist minors who want to obtain Airsoft guns without parental permission (an illegal act). In fact, we will be the first to turn you in.

That being said, MAA Officers would be happy to discuss Airsoft with your parents, and answer any questions they may have. Parents are welcome at MAA games, and encouraged to participate so they can see what Airsoft is all about.

Minnesota Statutes, which expressly mention BB guns and therefore apply to Airsoft, give the criteria for legal transportation, whether carried about your person, or in a vehicle.

• NEVER carry your gun or play Airsoft in a public area.
• NEVER carry your gun concealed on your person while in public. Use a gun case.
• NEVER brandish your gun in public. Treat your gun as if it were a real firearm.
• NEVER attempt to use your Airsoft Gun for hunting or Self-Defense. It’s not effective for either, and prohibited by several laws.
• NEVER bring an Airsoft gun onto school grounds, even the parking lot. Whether or not school is in session this is illegal in Minnesota.

NEVER FORGET that Minnesota law provides that any case where a realistic or replica firearm is used unlawfully will be treated as if the gun was real.

ALWAYS REMEMBER: use good judgment when deciding where to play. Just because you are not breaking the law doesn’t mean you won’t attract unwanted attention.

With the new Concealed Carry Law enacted in 2003, private citizens will be more aware of guns in public places. You might have to deal with more than just the cops!

Airsoft is ILLEGAL in several other states. Do you really want to risk becoming the person who’s responsible for Airsoft being banned in Minnesota?

Occasionally, people will wander into the area you are playing in, for one reason or another.

US Special Forces engage rebels in the Philippines while local citizens look on, oblivious to the danger.

IMMEDIATELY STOP THE GAME and initiate a BLINDMAN call.

Have an unarmed referee or game host approach the bystander in a non-threatening manner. Politely inform them you are playing a "Paintball" style game, and find out what they are doing there.

If a bystander refuses to leave the area, suspend the game and contact the property owner. You are better off to cancel your game than to get into an altercation.

In 1996, a Minneapolis Police Officer shot a suspect who was playing Airsoft with an M1911 "springer" while responding to a "man with a gun" call.

A witness who called 911 (a Vietnam Veteran) saw the suspect fire the springer in the street, and thought it had misfired. The witness was 100% sure the gun was real, because he saw the suspect work the slide to cock it.

Upon arrival, the police surrounded the suspect and when he did not drop the gun, shot him with a 12-gauge shotgun. He lost a portion of one arm and was paralyzed from the waist down.

In 2001, he filed a lawsuit against the Officer who shot him and the City of Minneapolis. HE LOST. The court found that the Officer objectively and reasonably believed his Airsoft gun was a deadly weapon.

• Don’t make any sudden movements. Communicate with the police. "Officer, this gun isn’t real. What do you want me to do?"
• At the officer’s direction, immediately place your weapon on the ground. BE VERY careful not to point it at the Officer. Do not handle the weapon in any other way except to place it on the ground. Don’t unload it or do anything else.
• Don’t argue with the Officer, even if you think you are being mistreated. Listen to whatever the Officer has to say. On the field while you are being detained is not the time to argue with the police. Your attitude can mean the difference between being released and arrested.
• If anything is taken from you, ask for a receipt.
• If you have permission to play on private property, make sure you have contact information for the person who gave you permission with you.

As we can see from the Miles case above, there are serious risks involved with playing Airsoft in the street, public parks, or other public areas. Incidents like this have resulted in efforts to ban Airsoft in other states.

Criminal charges associated with a "street game" could include, but are not limited to: Carrying a Concealed Weapon, Possession of Uncased Firearms, Felony Assault, and Breach of the Peace.

In addition to criminal charges (punishable by a year in jail and fines up to $1000) your Airsoft guns would also be confiscated and destroyed. If you lucky enough to receive probation, a condition of your probation would likely prohibit you from possessing an Airsoft gun or attending Airsoft games and events.

If you are convicted of a felony, you would be facing a year or more in a state prison, plus fines exceeding $1000. You will also lose your right to possess real-steel firearms, your right to vote, and face other restrictions for the rest of your life.

It’s never too late to come clean. Just because you make a mistake, or your friends are doing something stupid, there is no reason that it has to continue. Report the problem to an MAA Officer, and we will assist you.

We all understand how much fun Airsoft is, and that many of us "can’t wait" to play - but remember:

• Private Property, with the permission of the property owner
• Public Property which has been leased to you by the controlling agency
• Sanctioned Playing Fields, such as SBI or SFP.

To play on Private Property, you need permission from the property owner. If the property owner is not present during the game, you should carry written permission with you while playing.

You also need to ensure you don't cause a police incident. If the property is not secluded enough that bystanders will see the game, it's a very bad idea to play there. Even if the property is secluded, you should notify the local police/sheriff that you will be playing Airsoft there.

Waivers do not protect you from being sued for damages that result from an Airsoft game. What a waiver does is offer a defense in court that the "victim" knew of the risks and voluntarily participated in the event. Even with waivers, you can still be sued. If you are a minor, your parents can be sued.

Unless you purchase special event insurance (contact an insurance broker for information about this) any liability should be covered by the property owner's general liability policy. But don’t take that for granted.

As insurance policies vary from company to company, you should check with your insurance carrier to see if you are covered.

A good rule of thumb is: if your shots might leave the playing area, or people outside the playing area might see you, then it's too small.

Certain local restrictions may apply as well - for example, in Minneapolis and many other cities, it's illegal to fire an Airsoft gun unless you are underground (eg, in a basement). The MAA discourages playing Airsoft in any municipal area, with the exception of sanctioned playing fields (eg, SBI in Minneapolis).

The MAA reserves the right to eject/bar players for misconduct, as specified by the MAA Charter.

Always remember: It’s only a game. Airsoft is supposed to be FUN. Airsoft is about teamwork, honor, and sportsmanship. If you don’t want that, go play some other game.

Call yourself out. A player who refuses to call their hits is dishonorable, and brings the entire sport down. If you don’t call your hits, you will not be invited back to MAA games.

See "Calling hits" below for more info)

Avoid conflict- refer problems with other players to the Ref or an MAA Officer. That’s what they are there for. Remember to be a good sport, and give other players the benefit of the doubt.

Physical contact with other players is to be avoided under all circumstances. It is NEVER acceptable, in any MAA game, for players to engage in physical contact. (The one exception to this is "touch kills" or "knife kills" - refer to the MAA Charter for rules on this.

Under normal game rules, you are hit when any part of your body, clothing, or gear is stuck by a BB. When you are hit, you are obligated to call yourself out and head to the re-gen point or staging area.

A hit to your gun does not count as a hit; however, if follow-up shots hit any part of your body (even your hand) then you are hit. Consider realism - if these were real bullets, would you still be in the game?

If another player (regardless of what team they are on) says you are hit, then you should give them the benefit of the doubt and call yourself out. If you disagree with the call, then you are free to request a parlay.

Special rules in scenario games (such as medic and wounding rules) can be confusing. It’s the player’s responsibility to know the rules of the game. A detailed briefing of special rules is highly recommended prior to any game where they are used.

If at any time during a game you disagree with a player’s actions (for example, you think they have been hit, and they are not calling themselves out) you may make a parlay challenge.

To make a parlay, call yourself out and go to the nearest referee. Inform the ref you want a parlay with a specific player. The ref will then call out the other player, and you will both go to re-generation and re-enter the game.

Interesting Fact: The largest known parlay in the history of Airsoft in the US was at Operation: Art of War 3 and involved approximately 140 players. It was called by Gabe Stitzel, who at the time was the President of the Minnesota Airsoft Association.

During the early formation of the MAA, we examined FPS limits used by other existing Airsoft organizations, and we did some tests on different Airsoft weapons to help us determine what a safe engagement distance and FPS limits should be. The current MAA limits are based on the results of that research.

We also considered making full-face protection mandatory and going with a higher FPS. This was decided against, as the majority of players preferred to play with goggles only. The current FPS limits allow for reasonably safe play with goggles only.

As specified in the MAA Charter, players are not allowed to engage each other within 10 feet. When faced with an engagement inside of 10 feet, players are encouraged to do the following:

• Attempt to retreat to neutral safe distances and re-engage.
• One player may attempt a "Surrender". See "Surrenders" below.
• If both players fire at each other inside of 10 feet, they are both considered out (regardless of whether or not they are actually hit).
• In the case of a disagreement, a parlay is allowed.