I decided to write this article in order to resolve the eternal dispute between strikers and painters. The second goal of the article is to help people who want to determine for themselves what is most interesting to them. I warn you right away: I am a fan of paintball, so I took materials about the strike from specialized sites and from the stories of friends who are fond of it. I hope the true strikers will complement me in the comments.
So, let's begin.
The history of airsoft began in 1945 in Japan. After the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese were forced to sign the Act of Unconditional Surrender. In one of the clauses of the Act, it was spelled out that they do not have the right to maintain their own armed forces and conduct exercises using military weapons. But the Japanese are cunning people, they came up with a way out of the situation. Copies of real weapons were created, which repeated the exact assembly-disassembly scheme, rate of fire and other performance characteristics of real weapons. The only difference is that the copies were shot with plastic balls with a diameter of 6 mm. Naturally, these models went on the free sale. Thus, in different countries, these games have gained popularity under different names, for example, air soft b hardball. In Japan, the popularity of air soft came in the early 80s, and the strike came to Russia in 97. This is roughly the story of the strike.
Airsoft rules
1. Age of participants - at least 18 years old
2. Mental balance (If a person shows signs of mental imbalance and is able to prevent others from getting positive emotions from the game, then the team, as a rule, quickly part with such a fighter. It must be remembered that responsibility for the behavior of a fighter lies not only with him, but and on the team, and therefore refrain from any manifestations of aggressiveness and inadequacy …)
3. The use of only airsoft weapons permitted in the game (This is a very important requirement. The small arms specified in the rules must shoot industrially manufactured 6 mm balls weighing from 0, 12 to 0, 43 grams (8 mm weapons are also allowed, but rarely used.) Weapons that were not originally intended for shooting 6- or 8-mm balls are prohibited in airsoft. The speed of the ball's departure from the barrel of the weapon is also limited - as required by the Law of the Russian Federation "On Weapons" (pneumatic toy with a muzzle energy of no more than 3 joules are not considered weapons), and the requirements of the Rules, separately for each type of weapon: pistols, pump-action shotguns, automatic weapons of small, medium and large sizes, machine guns, sniper rifles with a single shot.)
In this part, the rules of the Association and the rules of the UK contain different restrictions, shown in the table:
| Restriction according to the rules of the Association (caliber 6 mm), m / s | Restriction according to the rules of the SK (caliber 6 mm), m / s | |
| Pistols, revolvers | 110 | 120 |
| Pump action shotguns | 120 | 120 |
| Small automatic weapons | 120 | 160 |
| Automatic weapons medium | 130 | 160 |
| Long-barreled automatic weapon | 140 | 160 |
| Machine guns | 150 | 160 |
| Sniper rifles (not designed for automatic fire) | 172 | 200 |
4. Measurement of speed is carried out when fired with a ball weighing 0.2 grams.
5. When playing on objects that involve shooting at short distances (buildings), weapons are used with a ball exit speed of no more than 120 m / s (this rule is the same for the Association and the UK).
6. There are also serious limitations for airsoft pyrotechnics made on the basis of firecrackers (grenades, mines, charges of means of amplification): the firecracker should not be more powerful than the widely known and available in stores the firecracker "Korsar-6". All these restrictions are designed to reduce the painful and traumatic effect of balls hit and firecrackers exploding, to maintain the health and good mood of the players. Nevertheless, even weapons that comply with the restrictions must be used wisely.
7. Obligatory presence of eye protection that can withstand the impact of airsoft ammunition (The greatest risk when playing airsoft is the risk of ammunition or a projectile hitting the eye. wounds and injuries to the body, but large enough to cause serious injury to the eye. To minimize this risk, each player must wear goggles or a mask throughout the game that completely cover their eyes and withstand a point-blank shot from the most powerful airsoft weapon permitted. Take off goggles or a mask only in the non-playing area. If you need to temporarily take off your goggles in order to wipe them, you must ensure your own safety - turn away, bend over to the ground, cover yourself with your hand, weapon or piece of equipment. In general, take care of your eyes!)
8. Use of equipment and equipment in the style of "military" uniform for all team members (This requirement applies to any team trips to game events where representatives of other teams participate. The purpose of this requirement is to ensure that the player is recognized by enemy fighters and allies by appearance. It is forbidden to play in civilian clothing. It is forbidden to use the uniform that was used before 1953, and the uniform of the "soldier of the future".)
9. Willingness to strictly follow the rules of the game (The broadest requirement, which assumes, firstly, a solid knowledge of the rules and the game scenario, and secondly, the desire to honestly fulfill the task assigned to the team.)
Ethics of airsoft
It is impossible to describe all the subjects of controversy and disagreement in the airsoft game. Almost any scenario involves many options for teams, and players are constantly caught in odd situations. Nevertheless, over the years of the game, experienced fighters have developed a special code of conduct, partly regulated by the rules, which must be known and followed in a disputable situation. Its main elements are:
Careful use of weapons
It is necessary to take into account the pain and possible injuries caused to a person by a ball hit or a grenade explosion. In the end, your target only has such a role - the enemy, but in life it is your colleague, a good guy or girl, whose health it would be pleasant for you to take care of. Hence the following requirements follow:
1. Do not exceed the speed limit of the ball! You, of course, want to shoot more powerful and further, but think about what it will be like for the person you hit!
2. Don't shoot powerful weapons at close range! Do not shoot any weapon point-blank! If your main weapon is powerful, use a spare weapon (at a speed of no more than 120 m / s) or a handgun to play in the building. If the firefight takes place in an open area, and you have a powerful weapon, be very careful and, if possible, exclude the ball from hitting a person from a short distance. For example, snipers are highly discouraged from shooting from a distance of less than 20-30 meters. If you got close to the enemy at close range, and he does not see you, tell him something like "bang, you are killed." As a last resort, shoot him in the boot.
3. Don't shoot in the head! If possible, refrain from shooting at open parts of the body, especially the head. If you accidentally hit the head from a close distance - apologize, if necessary, offer help!
4. Do not shoot in the residential camp and non-play area! In a residential camp, weapons should be unloaded (with the magazine unbuckled) and on the safety lock. The same requirement applies to pre-play and post-play builds. Weapons with an empty magazine fastened may only be used in a residential camp for photographing. It is allowed to shoot weapons only in a specially designated area, making sure that there is no one in the sector of fire.
In the game, immediately after you are hit, you should unfasten the magazine and shoot the ball remaining in the barrel into the ground or into the air. You should be in the ghost with a discharged weapon. Shooting in the immediate vicinity of the ghost building is prohibited.
5. Don't shoot non-combatants! There may be non-combatants in the play area - people who do not participate in hostilities. These are photographers, videographers, service personnel, etc. All of them must have items of equipment (jackets, hats) of red color. It is forbidden to shoot at them. Also, you cannot shoot at the affected players (they are also indicated by a red bandage). In addition, people who have nothing to do with the game - fishermen, mushroom pickers, etc., can enter the territory. They should be politely conducted outside the playing area, stopping the game for a while if necessary.
6. Do not shoot at animals, non-combat vehicles, other people's property, flying objects! Don't throw grenades into boats!
Rules for the "dead"
1. Struck - go away! Any hit of the ball on the player's body or on items of equipment (clothing, unloading, backpack, etc.) is considered a defeat. Ricochet and hitting a weapon are not counted. Friendly fire counts as enemy fire. A defeat by a grenade explosion is counted if one of the elements of its filling hit you or if the grenade exploded no more than a meter away from you. Defeat is usually the most controversial. Nobody wants to "die", and some players try to hide or not admit the fact that a ball has hit them. This introduces a destructive element into the game and spoils the mood of the enemy fighters. In addition, deliberate "unconsciousness" puts a bad stigma on both the player and the team. In some communities, an unconscious player may even try to "cure" in some unpleasant way: for example, by giving him several bursts of dozens of barrels in his head … Airsoft is a game of fairness. If it seemed to you that you were hit (characteristic sound, blow of a ball), you need to get up, designate yourself as amazed and go into the ghost house. If you did not notice the hit, and the enemy confidently claims that he hit (this happens, especially if you are on the move), there is no need to argue - you should politely and sincerely apologize, convincingly say that you did not notice the hit, and go into the ghost house. To designate oneself as defeated means to put on a red bandage on oneself (on the head, neck) or on the weapon, clearly distinguishable by other players. A red lantern is put on at night. According to the rules of the UK, a red lantern can be used during the day.
2. Do not report and do not give anything alive! The defeated fighter should not give out the enemy's location by word, gesture or glance, should not pass through the enemy's positions and engage in any reconnaissance. Radio exchange and any negotiations with the "dead" are prohibited. Transfer of weapons, ammunition, etc. injured players are prohibited alive. The affected player can, by prior agreement, leave weapons or equipment for his team members or allies at the place of "death".
3. Do not interfere with the living! Leave the battlefield as quickly as possible. If there is an intense battle over you, designate yourself as defeated and lie down until the end of an active firefight, lifting the unloaded weapon with the barrel up. It should be borne in mind that live players are not allowed to use defeated players as cover, so behave in such a way as not to provoke the living to such a violation.
General game rules
1. Don't hide behind the dead! Do not position yourself so that there are defeated players between you and the target, or in close proximity to you, or behind you. During the firefight, do not approach the ghost house.
2. Don't argue! All disputes are resolved only outside the game or with the help of an intermediary, if there is one.
3. Be polite! It is unacceptable to insult other players with words, gestures or the use of force during the game! It is not necessary to "get used to the role" so much as to shout insults to a conventional adversary, who, having also "got used to the role," can take them personally.
4. Don't forget about mutual help! In the event of an emergency (fire, accident, etc.), immediately help people in trouble!
5. Alcohol and drugs are illegal! Drinking in a friendly airsoft company before a game or during a game is not allowed. You should not rely on your unbending health and drink in the evening of the day before the start of the game. Any fighter under the influence of alcohol or drugs is not allowed to play.
6. Fighter's puncture - team puncture. Individual fighters for breaking the rules can be publicly expelled from the game. However, the team is also responsible for the actions of each of its fighters. If serious violations are identified, the team can be expelled from the airsoft community and access to large games be denied.
Well let's start about paintball
History of paintball
The history of paintball is shrouded in legends. Some argue that paintball originated in the 70s of the XX century in the depths of the CIA, while others attribute the invention to Mossad. Still others are sure that paintball was invented for the psychological relief of Vietnam war veterans and for training the fighters of the French Foreign Legion.
19th century: the birth of colorful weapons
Even older legends date us to 1878, when the first paint guns were used in France to train troops. Shock troops from colonial expeditions in Senegal, Algeria and Siam conducted training in fighting guerrillas and effectively clearing villages using training paint throwers. Subsequently, the soldiers trained in this way proved to be excellent in real hostilities: during the Algerian campaign of 1879, not a single person was lost, and only two were wounded. Russia could also have adopted this method of training soldiers: the military attaché of the Russian Empire in France, as an observer, was present at the exercises of 1881, where the successes of soldiers trained in shooting with paint guns were demonstrated. And even 4 sets of equipment were delivered to Russia (this was done, in particular, by the second cousin of the famous writer, Captain of the Life Guards Tolstoy). But these efforts were in vain - perhaps because of the excessive conservatism of the Russian army leadership. However, in France itself in 1889, the training program with the help of paint guns was closed.
Hitler's army and its markers
In 1937, the idea of the French attracted the leadership of the General Staff of the German troops, and as an experiment, an order was made for the manufacture of samples of paint guns. A group of engineers under the leadership of Zimmermann was engaged in the development of a new type of training weapons, and the production of paint guns, which became known as "Saxon rifles", was carried out at the plant in Grosstimige. As a result, a more perfect model was born, almost an exact semblance of a modern marker. It is known that, thanks to the training of Wehrmacht soldiers with the use of Saxon rifles, in May 1940, a group of less than 100 paratroopers forced, after a 30-hour battle, an entire garrison of the French fort of Eben-Emael, numbering over 1000 people, to surrender! Interesting,that once again history gave Russia a chance to start using paint guns in training soldiers of the Soviet army: after the surrender of Nazi Germany, military archives with materials for the development of "Saxon rifles" ended up in the USSR. The plant itself was dismantled and sent to the Soviet Union as reparations. But it can be seen that it was not destined to competently dispose of useful technologies …
These are legends. Actually…
The most common version, according to which paintball has become what it is today, refers to North America. In the 80s, in one of the states, a company of cowboys, after labor exploits for the benefit of American agriculture (or maybe instead of exploits), decided to have fun with paint guns, with which they marked cows and horses. By the way, hardworking Canadian lumberjacks also claim to be the fathers of paintball - they used paint guns to mark trees. As a result, apparently the fun of “shooting at a fellow tribesman without the risk of being imprisoned” appealed to the participants of the event.
Paintball is divided into tactical and sports. Tactical paintball is roughly similar to airball parties. The rules and plots of the games are also roughly similar. Sports paintball takes place on a field equal in size to a hockey rink. Where the inflatable figures are placed. The surface of the site is a natural or artificial turf; in Russia, linoleum is more often used. There are several varieties.
1. Classic paintball. Two teams of 5 to 5 people. The duration of the game is 5 minutes. The goal is to mark all rivals, or bring the flag from the rival's base to your territory. I will describe the rules below.
2. X-ball. 3 periods of 25 minutes. The marked player leaves the field for 2 minutes to wipe the marker, refill balls and air. After 2 minutes, he steps into the game from his base. The goal is to bring the flag from the center of the field to your base as many times as possible.
There are also purely American varieties of the 10 by 10 type until the team is completely defeated, but this did not take root in Russia.
Sports paintball rules
These are the rules of the international league, so reading them is boring and long. Anyone interested can find them at this link.
In general, why I wrote this article. Recently there was a publication about our youth that they have no goals, that they are lazy. In the discussions, we touched on the topic of paintball and airsoft. The only thing is that everything went down there again on how much the equipment costs. Many, for sure, took it as a flood. In this article, I hope to officially remove all questions and try to interest young people.
