Most of the electric airsoft rifles have an adjustable hop-up feature incorporated into the gun itself. There are cheap electric airsoft rifles that do not have this feature, but this does not mean that these type of guns are inferior, they will just not be able to allow the shooter to dial in on their opponent as well.
A hop-up is an adjustment that determines the amount of spin that the bb achieves as it exits the muzzle of the gun. This allows the shooter to determine the speed and trajectory of the ammunition depending on the situation at hand. The majority of electric airsoft rifles will fire the ammunition from the muzzle at a velocity of approximately 300-400 feet per second.
Many metal electric airsoft rifles incorporate a metal, high capacity magazine that will hold from between 250 rounds up to a whopping 600 rounds. This insures that the shooter has a seemingly neverending reserve of ammunition at their disposal. Adjustable sights and optic mounting rails are also great features of many electric airsoft rifles, and some even employ a folding or adjustable buttstock to accomadate just about any sized shooter. This is especially true of the full metal electric airsoft rifles.
Another great feature that some of the electric airsoft rifles offer is a realistic blowback action. These electric blowback airsoft rifles have a slide mechanism that actually moves back and forth making a very lifelike sound, more like a 'clack', and is similar to the actual sound of the real thing. This added detail makes these electric airsoft rifles a real blast to shoot. Behind the slide is where most of the adjustable hop-ups are found. Moving the adjustment backward and forward is what puts the extra spin on the ammunition.
Charging times for the rechargeable batteries that operate electric airsoft rifles vary, but fall somewhere between two to five hours. Most batteries are 8.4 volt, but there are more powerful electric airsoft guns that require a 9.6 volt battery. Make sure that you do not overcharge these batteries as they can be damaged.
As you can see, electric airsoft rifles are all the rave when it comes to the sport of airsoft. The thrill of unleashing hundreds of BBs onto your opponent within a matter of seconds is a real adrenaline rush. And even if you only use your electric airsoft rifle for target shooting, at some point you will not be able to stop the urge to let the ammunition fly in the fully automatic mode. Incorporating electric airsoft guns in your arsenal will give you a huge advantage over your opponents.
What is a Hop-Up?
Many of the electric airsoft rifles today incorporate an adjustable hop-up system. This allows the shooter to control the speed and trajectory of the ammunition, in this case, plastic BBs. But how does this work?
The hop-up adjustment on electric airsoft rifles and electric airsoft machine guns is usually behind the slide of the gun, whether the slide is blowback or non-blowback . On the electric airsoft sniper rifle, the adjustment is usually under the magazine port. Normally, the adjustment is slid towards the butt of the gun to increase the spin on the BB giving it extra lift when in flight. This allows the BB to leave the airsoft gun at a flat trajectory, but after 15 or 20 yards the BB starts to climb and slow in velocity, allowing the shooter to "drop in" on his target. The majority of electric airsoft pistols will have this feature as well.
With the adjustment slid forward on electric airsoft rifles, the BB leaves the muzzle at a flat trajectory and remains that way during the full flight of the ammunition. This is the hard hitting and straight-lined flight that will bring your opponent down without warning.
