Ever seen a movie or even played airsoft and thought “I wonder if I can use my gun to break those windows in the front of that building?”
Now you can finally do it with your awesome airsoft power!
Or…not.
This article will try to find out just how much force is required for an airsoft gun to break a window.
The real power of airsoft guns
Your airsoft gun is not as powerful as you think. However, for the sake of this article, we are going to assume that your airsoft gun is a perfect replica in terms of power.
Airsoft guns produce muzzle energy which cannot be converted into power. Why? Because ‘power’ is the rate at which work gets done and airsoft guns do not do any work.
The airsoft gun is a spring gun. It is an object where the potential energy stored in the compressed spring can be converted to kinetic energy (energy of motion) when it is released, firing BBs out of the barrel at high velocity.
The airsoft gun fires plastic BBs, not metal bullets so it will not do as much damage to glass compared to me.
Can airsoft guns break glass?
Yes, airsoft guns can break glass. Any glass will break when the stress put upon it is greater than its strength (break strain).
Airsoft guns cannot produce sufficient energy to do this on their own though. An airsoft gun will require some help from nearby objects in order for a window to break.
The most common technique is to ‘aim’ the shot towards the glass and then hit it with something else. You’ll need to use both of these techniques if you want optimal results. We’ll look at them separately now.
How do airsoft guns actually break glass?
Airsoft guns are not paintball markers or air rifles so you can forget about them breaking glass on their own.
Lightly built airsoft guns such as GBBs and AEGs can produce enough energy to break a sheet of paper but not much more. Even then, they require some help from nearby objects in order to smash the glass.
Airsoft sniper rifles such as the AEG and spring-powered airsoft guns will not be able to produce enough energy to break any glass at all.
Can a hammer help an airsoft gun break glass?
Yes, if you strike the target (the window in this case) with a hard object then it can shatter under the stress.
It should be noted that not all glass can withstand this kind of punishment, especially if the airsoft gun you are using is powerful. An example would be your average office window:
You may find that one hit will produce cracks but you will need a couple more to make it shatter completely. If you were shooting at something like this with a powerful airsoft gun then you would have to hit it multiple times.
This is not possible though as the window will shatter. A couple of them may need to be sprayed with paint or covered in paper before doing this however. Do this and you will have better success with fewer shots!
Do note that if you are trying to break a window that is at eye level or higher then a hammer will prove ineffective. You would be better off using an airsoft sniper rifle and nothing else!
How do you use the ‘hammer strike’ technique?
Partially load your airsoft gun with paintballs or bb’s then let it settle. This is going to be your last shot so make it count!
How do you use the ‘aim strike’ technique?
Aim your shot. It should be noted that you must not pull the trigger until the gun has settled otherwise it will cause inaccuracy.
Examples of suitable targets are doors and windows that are at a similar height to you or lower (i.e., eye level), trees, walls, and so forth.
Paintball guns vs airsoft guns
Both of these will break the glass. The main difference is the amount of work required to do it, especially with higher-powered airsoft guns and spring-loaded paintball guns.
These are not suitable for this kind of task as they will not be able to produce sufficient energy. AEGs and GBBs will be more useful if you are planning on breaking glass that is at eye level or lower.
Conclusion
Airsoft guns can break glass but they require your help to do so! If you want to save yourself time (and paintballs/bb’s) then use a hammer on something that is at eye level or lower before attacking the glass. This will help you break it much more quickly as well.
Airsoft guns are also limited by how powerful they can be so for a task like this one, a paintball gun would be superior to an airsoft gun if both are similarly powered.
Airsoft guns won’t be able to break glass by themselves but they certainly can if you use the right technique. This is something that a lot of people don’t realize and I hope this article will clear up any misconceptions.
I’m not sure whether airsoft guns are legal in your area so always check this out before taking part in such activities! If you’re still not sure then please ask a responsible adult or airsoft professional to help you.