Are Airsoft Guns Safe for 13-Year-Olds?

Are Airsoft Guns Safe For 13-Year-Olds

If you have a 13-year-old in your family, you might start wondering: are airsoft guns safe for 13-year-olds?

Airsoft is a popular hobby, and people of all ages love it. It is a great way to hang out with friends in a competitive and strategic environment all centered around having fun. If you have ever been to an airsoft game you’ve probably seen kids outside, waiting for the time they can join the game. So, when is it safe for a kid to play airsoft?

It depends on how responsible and mature the child is.  Airsoft guns are only as safe as the level of responsibility of the person using them. For this reason, you need to build a sense of responsibility in your child and train them in airsoft safety before allowing them to use airsoft guns.

What to Consider Before Allowing a 13-Year-Old to Play Airsoft?

Before allowing your child to start playing airsoft, you need to consider a few things to ensure that they will be safe and that no one else will be injured when they are playing.

Despite being a toy, Airsoft can cause pain and misconception. So, it’s important to follow the rules and safety precautions that must be followed for the safety of your child and others.

Responsibility Level

  • How responsible is your child in other things other than airsoft?
  • Do they have a sense of responsibility for the duties they are given?
  • Can they take care of the things they are given?

The answer to these questions will help determine if your 13-year-old is ready to play.

Following Rules and Instructions

  • Does your kid follow instructions?
  • Do they listen to authority and understand the basis of the rules they follow?

As a new airsoft player, you will have to listen to a lot of people training you on how to play in a team. You will also learn how to stay safe when out in the field. Mostly, kids will have the same sense of following instructions on the field as they do at their home.

Laws Concerning Airsoft for Kids in Your Area

  • Do the laws in your area allow kids to play airsoft?
  • What age restrictions does your state have?
  • Are there other restrictions on 13-year-olds transporting an airsoft gun?

Getting familiar with your local law will be essential in order to stay out of any legal danger when playing airsoft or transporting your gun from and to the field.

If you want to know more about airsoft laws, here is the link where you can review different laws in the US. Be sure to confirm with your local law enforcement or a lawyer just to be sure though.

Restrictions in Nearby Airsoft Fields

You will need to scope out your locality for airsoft fields and how much they charge per game. However, the most important thing you will need to establish is whether the field restricts how young you will need to be to play.

Many fields have an age restriction of  12 years and they may allow younger ages but you may need to accompany your child in the field for them to be allowed to play.

Rules Kids Need to Learn Before Being Allowed to Play Airsoft

Airsoft rules play an important role in staying safe when playing airsoft and avoiding trouble with the law when transporting your airsoft gun. If your 13-year-old can understand and follow the following rules, they will be able to play airsoft with a lower risk of hurting anyone or getting hurt out in the field.

The rules below are basic airsoft rules to be observed both in and out of the field. Ignoring them will get you in trouble with the law. Some are basic procedures that will keep you and your fellow players safe when in and out of the field.

First, let’s discuss the most popular airsoft safety rules that apply to all Airsoft players.

Don’t Brandish Airsoft Gun in Public

Brandishing an airsoft gun in public is both illegal and dumb. Airsoft guns are almost identical to their more dangerous real steel relatives and people will not be able to tell the difference between an airsoft gun and a real firearm.

It is therefore very important to ensure to never brandish your airsoft gun when you are in public places like roads, parks schools, etc. One good way of safely storing away your airsoft gun is placing it in a gun case or a protective bag.

Never Point an Airsoft Gun at Anyone Outside of an Airsoft Game

Whether jokingly or intending to scare them, this is a very dangerous thing to do. If the person who you are pointing the gun at does not know that it is an airsoft gun, they may respond in a defensive way that may hurt you or them.

It is especially unwise to point an airsoft gun at a police officer. This could potentially get you killed since the police officer will be acting in self-defense.

Play in Official Airsoft Fields

It is most advised that you play your airsoft games in official playing fields and not your backyard. The reason for this is that the field is usually located far from public places like parks and also far from residential areas.

This will lower your chances of scaring people going who might think that you are walking around with real firearms. If you do decide to play in your private residence, make sure that you inform your neighbors so that they don’t cause trouble for you with the law.

Eye Protection Must Be Worn

Both by the shooter and all other people around them. This will protect you from the danger of inadvertent fire before gameplay. 

Failing to do this puts you and those around you at risk of damaging your eyes or may even cause blindness.  

Always Consider an Airsoft Gun as Loaded

Keeping this assumption will keep your mind alert when handling your airsoft gun and when others are handling their guns around you. Most accidents happen when you get too relaxed when handling dangerous equipment.

Despite knowing that you have unloaded the gun, keep treating it as loaded. It builds a habit in you and becomes a natural deterrent from hurting anyone.

All Safeties Should Be On Until You Start Your Airsoft Game

You should ensure that everyone in your team maintains this habit and create ways of enforcing this habit. especially if you are taking breaks.

Just so that you don’t forget it, make it a habit of toggling on your safeties. Just as you are forming these habits, you make it easier for you and others to be safer. 

Keep Your Finger off the Trigger

Keep your finger off the trigger until you have your target in sight. When we are excited, we may get trigger-happy and shoot at something we were not expecting.

This can happen as well if we get surprised and eventually hit a friendly fire. So, if you don’t need to shoot, don’t get ready to shoot. 

Never Shoot Through the Safe Area

The people in this area may not have the necessary safety equipment and you may injure them inadvertently. In the field, everyone is prepared and has worn his safety gear. Those in the Safe Area might just be preparing and are not ready yet. So avoid shooting at safe areas at all costs. 

Have Proper Footwear

Airsoft fields are usually really rugged and one of the injuries you will need to protect yourself from are sprained ankles. You need to have boots that provide proper ankle protection.

Hiking boots like this one provide good ankle protection and will protect you from injuries when you are running on top of rocks and bushes. For added protection, wear long socks or pants for your legs and thighs. 

Always Point Your Airsoft Gun Below Your Waist

This will protect you from hurting anyone if your gun does go off unintentionally. Keeping this habit whenever you handle your airsoft gun will prepare you for when your gun is actually loaded.

Respect for the equipment is really important. Though Airsoft guns are still considered toys, these guns must be handled properly and safely. Now, let’s talk about the rules that your kids have to follow. 

Airsoft Rules Specifically for Kids

Next, sit down with your child and lay down the rules for them on how to use an airsoft gun. Some of the following may be useful:

  • Airsoft should not be played outside of a sanctioned airsoft field
  • Airsoft guns must always remain in a gun case or gun bag until you arrive at a sanctioned airsoft field
  • Safety gear must be worn at all times when you are at the airsoft field
  • Under no circumstances can the airsoft gun be pointed at anyone outside of the airsoft field
  • The Magazine of the gun should always be detached from the gun unless you are in gameplay

Safety Gear That Kids Between 10-13 Need to Have

These are the basics that a 13-year-old must have. This also applies to adults but since your kid is just starting, it would be best to start with the basics first.

After a while, it’s time to other appropriate gears. Check this article to learn more about what you should wear. 

Eye Protection

Full Seal ANSI Z87 1 Rated Eye protection is the most important piece of gear that you can get before playing airsoft.

Here is a great pair on Amazon that you can buy. You should not use just any glasses, they need to be ANSI Z87 1 rated to withstand the impact from high-velocity bbs.

Face Protection

Aside from the eyes, you need to protect your 13-year-old from the stinging wart that is inflicted when you get hit on the face by a BB. In addition to this, some fields require kids to have full face protection for them to play.

The Unigear half-face mask is adjustable and has ear protection too. Check it out on Amazon

Shoes With Good Traction

Most fields have really rough terrain and it’s important that your kids wear shoes that will allow them to navigate the field without slipping. Hiking boots are the best for this purpose and they can be used outside the airsoft field as well.

The Columbia hiking boot is a good versatile boot that is good for airsoft and can also be used outside the field. View price out on amazon.

Conclusion

Despite the young age, yes it is possible to play airsoft. Once you check out the rules of the state and the rules in the field you want to play in, be sure to follow the listed guides here.

There may be a lot to follow and it can get overwhelming to a child. But if you really want to play airsoft, then you’ve made the right choice of reading through. Remember, Airsofts are toys for big boys, so play them like one and you’ll get to enjoy the game big boys play.