Choosing the Right Weapon Accessories
In the world of Airsoft, you can get just about any conceivable kind of attachment for your Airsoft gun; grenade launchers, fore-grips, scopes, red dot sights, lasers, flashlights, bipods, extra rails, PEQ boxes, slings, mag-pulls, flash-hiders, silencers, etc., etc., etc – but even though it may look cool to have your gun fitted out with all types of various contraptions, is it really practical?
For most players, having a million different accessories on your weapon is not practical or necessary, and can end up being more of a hindrance than a help.
For the average player, I highly recommend a good, non-magnification, fully adjustable red (and/or green) dot non-holographic sight, and an extra magazine (or two or three…). Unless your gun came with a very high capacity magazine (500+ rounds), you are probably going to want an extra one on hand.
NOTE: The reason I recommend a non-magnification, non-holographic sight is because:
- Magnified sights are harder to use because you must ensure that you have your eye aligned correctly with the dot, or your aim will be off. With a normal, non-magnification scope, however, wherever the dot is resting is where your BBs are going to go (assuming you have your sight zeroed in correctly).
- Holographic sights can be harder to use during the daytime: The brightness of the sun can make can produce glare on the lens glass, and drown out the brightness of the dot.
Choosing the right accessories depends mainly on two things: Purpose and Environment.
PURPOSE. What is your purpose as a fighter? Are you a sniper? Gunner? Infantry? Special Forces?
ENVIRONMENT. What type of environment do you find yourself in most often? Field, woodland, or CQB/CQC? Do you mostly play during the daytime, or at night?
PURPOSE:
SNIPER: A sniper is defined as someone who “shoot[s] at exposed individuals (as of an enemy's forces) from a usually concealed point of vantage” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).
As a sniper, you want to keep your gear pretty simple. You don’t want a bunch of stuff that is going to get in the way, make noise, or make you easier to spot.
Good accessory choices include:
- A decent scope with 3x-4x magnification and a recessed or anti-glare lens
- Bipod for more stable, consistent shooting, especially for long-distance shooting
- A quality sling for your rifle so you can sling it on your back and switch to a secondary weapon
- Silencer or barrel extension if you are planning to get a longer inner barrel
- Low cap magazines (bolt action rifles always come with low capacity magazines; however, if you are using an electric gun you will want to have a low cap magazine - otherwise that tell-tale rattle of a hi-cap mag could give away your position to the enemy.
GUNNER: A gunner is usually someone who operates a large piece of weaponry, such as the guns on an aircraft or ship, or a large portable machine gun. Typically a gunner is someone who lays down large amounts of fire to restrain or destroy the enemy.
Good accessory choices include:
- Lots of extra magazines, or a box/drum mag
- A red dot sight
- Extra batteries and/or a PEQ box where an extra battery can be stored
- A quality sling (3-point recommended)
- A bipod (this is especially important if you are using a large/heavy weapon)
SPECIAL FORCES: Special Forces carry out all types of missions, many of which involve high risks. SF soldiers must be prepared for any type of mission, at any time of day. A SF soldier can customize his weapon for a specific mission, and thus he does not need to have every accessory on his gun at all times; However, he should have a wide variety of equipment at the ready for any mission that comes his way.
Good accessory choices include:
- A red dot sight
- Extra magazines (preferably low-cap to prevent mag-rattle)
- Extra batteries and/or PEQ box for storing an extra battery
- A laser
- A flashlight
- Plenty of rail space for gun customization
- A quality 3-point sling
- A fore-grip for improved gun handling
INFANTRY: Infantry basically consists of “typical” soldiers – they do not specialize in a certain skill such as a sniper or gunner does. As part of the infantry, you may be doing a wide variety of things, and therefore you want to be sure that your weapon is equipped to be a useful tool in multiple scenarios.
Good accessory choices include:
- Extra magazines for quick reloads
- A red dot sight
- Plenty of rail space
- A fore-grip for improved gun handling
- A quality sling (not absolutely vital, but very helpful if switching to a secondary weapon. 3-point sling type recommended.)
- Extra batteries/PEQ box for storing an extra battery
ENVIRONMENT:
FIELD: This type of environment consists of a mostly clear battle area such as open fields containing grass or scrub brush.
Good accessory choices include:
- A red dot sight
- Extra magazines and/or a box mag
- A good 9.6v battery for increased Rate-Of-Fire
- Bipod (bipod &fore-grip all-in-one recommended)
- Plenty of rail space
- Extra batteries/PEQ box for storing an extra battery
WOODLAND: Environment consists of mature growth such medium to large size trees.
Good accessory choices include:
- A red dot sight
- Extra magazines
- A good 9.6v battery for increased Rate-Of-Fire
- Fore-grip
- Plenty of rail space
- Extra batteries/PEQ box for storing an extra battery
CQC/CQB: This environment consists of confined areas (usually indoors) where Close-Quarter-Combat (also referred to as Close-Quarter-Battle) will be taking place. In a CQC situation there may not be much room to maneuver. You may encounter dimly-lit areas, and you will also have to be prepared for sudden encounters and minimal reaction time. Your weapon should be equipped for low-light situations and should remain as compact as possible.
Good accessory choices include:
- A red dot sight
- Plenty of rail space
- A good flashlight (you will want one with plenty of power, and, preferably, an adjustable beam width. There are also special flashlights available which blink rapidly to disorient the enemy)
- A laser (although a good red dot sight will usually suffice)
- Extra magazines
- A fore-grip
- Extra batteries/PEQ box for storing an extra battery
- A folding/sliding stock to minimize weapon length
NOTE: If you are using a pistol as your main CQB weapon, you should equip it with a laser or a laser-flashlight combo and have plenty of extra magazines on hand.
DAYTIME: For daytime fighting, nothing extra is necessary. Simply follow the guidelines in this article that suit your specific purpose role and you should be good to go.
NIGHTTIME: For night fighting, follow the guidelines that fit your specific purpose role and make sure you have these extra accessories:
- A flashlight with plenty of range and an adjustable beam
- A laser or red dot sight
Hopefully this guide has helped you decide what accessories to (or not to) get. Be sure to check out our other articles!
- Article by Striker
