Airsoft replicas vs frost

It's winter on the northern hemisphere and in many regions we have temperatures below the freezing point of water (0°C → 32F). You might begin wondering if it's safe for you and your replica to attend airsoft games in such conditions.

Low temperatures

Airsoft electric guns - AEGs

AEGs are powered by batteries, mostly NiCd or NiMH rechargeables. Those batteries work best in room temperatures. If it's colder, their capacity drops. If it's very cold they won't supply enough power for the electric motor to pull the power spring in the mechbox. Low temperature also makes all greases and oils a lot more viscid -- it makes it even more difficult for the motor to move.


The issue with cold batteries may be resolved easily. Just make a cable long enough to put your battery in your pocket (preferably -- as close to your body as possible) and supply the replica with energy through that cable. It won't help with cold and viscid greases, but probably will be sufficient to ensure that your AEG will be operational.

There are other issues regarding electric replicas and frost. If you have tuned replica (stronger power spring), your mechbox may break more easily than during summer. Cold makes metal more brittle, so a shock caused by piston being stopped in a very brief time might break the mechbox. I read about couple of stories like that.

The last issue I know of is the hop-up bucking not being able to turn the BB enough for it to have proper trajectory. Hop-up buckings are made of silicone or rubber and are soft only in rather warm temperatures. If they become hardened by the frost, they won't work well.

I attended one game when it was -18°C (-0.5°F) and my replica worked fine. I used the stock MP5K PDW by Tokyo Marui. The battery capacity was very low and the motor worked very slow. I could only fire about 50 BBs when the battery died.

Pump action replicas

Such replicas don't need batteries as they're operated manually. If you have stock replica, it might work just well, except the hop-up bucking issue. Tuned replicas may have difficulties about metal brittleness...

Gas operated guns

Replicas powered by Green Gas (propane or propane/butane mixture) won't work well in winter.

Green gas is stored in canisters in liquid state, under small pressure of 6 atmospheres. In such pressure it boils in temperature close to -5°C (23°F). In such temperatures it won't be able to expand as fast as in summer, so the range of gas guns will drop dramatically. In extreme conditions (like shooting 10 BBs in short time) the gas valve might freeze and let all the gas from the magazine out in a large cloud of "steam". In Poland we call this a siphon. I don't know why...

Snow

As you probably know, all airsoft replicas are reasonably water resistant. They will work well in small rain, but won't if you drop them into a pond. So they will work well in snow. It won't hurt them.

Cold → warm transition

If you take electronic device from cold to a warm room you are not supposed to start it in some specified period. The water vapor from the warm room will condense on cold parts of the device and might cause electric shock.

You shouldn't be worried by this with your AEG. Typical AEG has none electronic parts inside, and a small amount of water condensed on any electric part won't hurt it. So if you must, you may freely use it. But who needs to fire his AEG indoors, anyway? ;)