Airsoft is a recreational pastime in which players participate in the simulation of military or law enforcement style combat using replicas of real firearms, collectively called airsoft guns. These use air compressed by a spring to project a 6mm plastic sphere with an energy that is approximately the same as a tennis ball dropped from 1m above the ground. This is much less dangerous than the high powered paintball markers and so eye protection is the minimum protection required rather than full face as in paintball. Even a hit to an unprotected eye would not necessarily do permanent damage, unlike a paintball that would squash it back into the skull.
The games can be realistic in style with the goal being to capture buildings or free hostages, or based on computer games with goals such as capture-the-flag, king-of-the-hill, or last-man-standing.
Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airsoft for more information.
Steyr AUG Assult Rifle by Tokyo Marui (Japan)
Steyr TMP Machine Pistol by KJC (Japan)
Glock 26 Advanced Pistol by Tokyo Marui (Japan)
Light-fighter Urban, Sheffield
Fireball, Birmingham
Spectre War Games, Hereford
Fighting Hedgehogs
http://www.airsoftmap.co.uk/ For a map of playing sites.
http://www.ironfoot.co.uk/forums/ Online Forums home page.
http://www.uncompany.com/pagehotnews.asp The best place to buy weapons from Hong Kong