We now have the condensed results of the Global Airsoft Survey Project (GASP) and the results are also revealing, with a brand of an ACM is actually now one of the most popular airsoft brands among players worldwide. The big daddy of Airsoft, Tokyo Marui, still leads the way among airsoft manufacturers as it is the preferred brand for many players in primary airsoft replicas, and the preferred brand for most players in airsoft pistols.

We had this gut feel that airsoft players are mainly in the working age-groups (25-50) and we were right, due to airsoft being an expensive hobby to maintain, and you'll need some form of income to be able to afford it. As always, it's male-dominated sport, with only 3% of respondents are actually female.

Surprisingly, a US-specific only brand came out as one of the "other" preferred brand of airsoft brands.

Here are the highlights of the GASP survey results. If interested in getting the full report of this survey, please email us at [email protected].

Our heartfelt thanks to all of those who have participated in this survey. Your participation greatly helps us understand more the airsoft player wherever he/she is. Another survey is coming up soon.

TOTAL NO. OF RESPONDENTS: 4,861

1. Location of Respondents

• North America - 36%
• Europe - 30.92%
• Southeast Asia - 19%
• Northeast Asia - 12%
• Latin America - 1%
• Middle East - 1%
• Oceania - 1%
• Africa - 0%

2. Age Range

• Below 18 - 7%
• 18-24 - 17%
• 25-32 - 34%
• 33-50 - 40%
• Over 50 - 2%

3. Gender

• Male - 97%
• Female - 3%

4. Type of Primary Airsoft Gun

• AEG - 97%
• Bolt Action - 1%
• Gas Powered - 1%
• Spring - 1%

5. Top Three Preferred Primary Airsoft Replicas

• M4/M16 Variants - 38%
• AK Variants - 19%
• MP5 Variants -10%

6. Top Three Preferred Secondary Airsoft Replicas

• MP5 Variants - 26%
• AK Variants - 21%
• M4/M16 Variants - 16%

7. Preferred Type of Power for Backup Airsoft Replicas

• Gas Blowback - 81%
• AEP - 13%
• Gas Non-Blowback - 5%
• Spring - 1%

8. Top Three Preferred Type of Backup Airsoft Replicas

• Glock Variants - 27%
• Colt  Variants - 26%
• SMG Types - 17%

9. Top Three Preferred Airsoft Brands for Primary Airsoft Replica

• Tokyo Marui - 20.9%
• Jing Gong - 16.8%
• Classic Army - 15%

10. Top Three Preferred Airsoft Brands for Airsoft Pistols

• Tokyo Marui - 70.7%
• WE - 10.1%
• KSC - 5.3%

11. Other Top Three Preferred Airsoft Brands for Primary Airsoft Replica

• Jing Gong - 24.2%
• King Arms - 15.1%
• Echo1 USA - 9%

12. Other Type of Preferred Airsoft Replicas

• Period (eg. WW1, WW2) - 69%
• Sci-fi/Fantasy - 18%
• None - 13%

13. Is Family Supportive of Hobby?

• 65% of respondents say that their families are very or most supportive of their airsoft hobby.

14. No. of Years in Playing Airsoft

• 51% of respondents say that they have been playing airsoft for 1-3 years.

15. Reasons for Playing Airsoft

• The foremost reasons for playing airsoft are to get out and meet friends (50%); it's better than playing FPS video games (47%); and able to shoot at people legally (36%).

16. Have they ever played Paintball before:

• Yes - 36%
• No - 48%
• Play both airsoft and paintball - 7%
• Never heard of paintball - 9%

17. Will they ever play Airsoft professionally?

• Yes - 42%
• No - 55%
• Already a pro - 3%

18. Brave enough to disassemble a gearbox?

• Yes - 76%
• No - 24%

19. Type of Airsoft Magazine used

• Majority of players use high capacity  (74%) and mid-capacity (49%) magazines.

20. Preferred Battery for AEGs and AEPs

• Majority use NiMH at 63% with about 25% already using Li-Poly batteries.

21. Preferred type of Airsoft Games

• There is no dominant preferred airsoft game for players. Any game will do for them (eg. CQC, Milsim, Woodland).

22. Favourite Role while Playing Airsoft

• Favourite roles are Assault/DMR (85%) and Counter-Terrorist (53%).

23. No. of Airsoft Replicas owned

• The majority of respondents say that they own between 2 to 5 replicas (67%).

24. Use of Biodegradable BBs

• 62% would prefer to use Biodegradable BBs but are hindered by costs.

25. Making Purchase decisions

• The majority make their purchasing decisions based on quality/performance (83%).