Airsoft pellets
Biodegradable pellets are made of various types of resin, often developed for the agricultural industry, and better makes are certified as compostable.
Airsoft models equipped with the hop-up projectile stabilizing system are not able to use these, as the thin shells are liable to break in the barrel, soiling it with paint.
These special pellets are also incompatible with airsoft models using mechanized feeding systems, such as high capacity magazines, for the same reason.
These issues may be fixed by removing the hop-up unit, which can void the warranty, and also switching to a low or mid-capacity magazine with no mechanized feed.
A specialized pellet coated in a powder that leaves a small colored mark when it strikes a surface.
Due to safety concerns and reports of injuries caused by this type of pellets,[6] it is commonly prohibited in professional airsoft facilities.
Many airsoft locations where players can pay to play against others prohibit the use of metallic pellets due to the fact they are more likely to penetrate skin.
Created from laboratory-grown crystal lattice structures, these pellets are individually machined to precise specifications that ensure uniform weight, dimensions and surface shape.
The material is able to defeat standard eye protection due to the weight and higher energy required to propel it, thus unsuitable for use against other human targets Translucent pellets come in many colors.
They tend to be non-biodegradeable and it can be difficult to find high quality versions compared to their opaque counterparts.
Low-cost pellets are often considered to have such negative characteristics as residual plastic from the moulding process (flash); lower impact resistance and some deviation from perfect spherical shape.
Higher cost BBs generally have a smoother finish, are more impact resistant and are perfectly spherical.
: In particular, for typical values and neglecting wind effects or hop-up usage, a straight shot from a height of 1.8 m (5.9 ft) has a range of 34 m (37 yd).
Airsoft pellets travelling with sufficient velocity can leave small superficial wounds when hitting exposed skin.
While this can be painful, these wounds are typically closed contusions and heal quickly without needing any medical attention.
The critical velocity required for skin penetration can be calculated using the formula: where m is the mass of a spherical bullet, in grams.
Because many high-end AEGs, spring- and gas-powered airsoft guns can achieve such velocity at close ranges, many airsoft venues set strict limits on the maximum muzzle velocities allowed on the field, requiring each player to undergo a chronograph test prior to participating in a game.
The following excerpts from the United Kingdom Parliament's "Principles of Firearms Control"[13] expound on the level of danger involved with low-energy projectiles: "25.
The Home Office and the Forensic Science Service considers that the lowest level of muzzle energy capable of inflicting a penetrating wound is one foot pound force (1.35 J); below these power levels, weapons are "incapable of penetrating even vulnerable parts of the body, such as the eye".
However, more recent analysis by the Forensic Science Agency for Northern Ireland has indicated that a more reasonable assessment of the minimum muzzle energy required to inflict a penetrating wound lies between 2.2 and 3.0 ft·lbf (3 to 4 J).
On another document also regarding firearms, "The Eleventh Annual Report of the Firearms Consultative Committee", the penetration levels lies between 2 and 3 J based on a research for US Army and DiMaio's work in "Minimal Velocities Necessary for Perforation of Skin by Air Pellets and Bullets, Journal of Forensic Sciences".
