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What is the Best Airsoft Shotgun?
As you can see, airsoft shotguns come in various sizes and shapes, even different colors. It is up to you which one you pick, depending on your skill level, budget and preference. Here are our 5 recommendations, but keep in mind that these brands make other airsoft shotguns and accessories if you want to expand your airsoft gear.
Our Top Choice
Double Eagle Metal Tactical Shotgun Airsoft Gun - Metallic Construction, 15-Round Magazine
Features
Double Eagle is another brand that manufactures a wide variety of airsoft guns and accessories for them. Apart from shotguns and rifles, you can also buy laser sights from this company as well as magazines, pistol barrel extenders and battery packs.
Here are the benefits of the M58B Metal Tactical Shotgun and why we included it in our list.
- 400 FPS shooting speed
- 15 rounds magazine capacity
- Comes with a cleaning rod and loader
- Made from metal and poly-fiber for added strength
Best Value
The BT-M47 Sawed-Off Style Spring Shotgun from BBTac is one of the most practical and affordable airsoft shotguns available on the market today. It is ideal for those who just started playing airsoft war games. However, if you are a more seasoned player then you might be interested in the
BBTac Airsoft Gun Package which offers incredible value for money!
BBTac Sawed-Off Style Spring Shotgun - 330 FPS, Pump and Action Shooting Style
Features
The last product in our list comes from BBTac, which is a professional brand that specializes in airsoft accessories and guns. You can buy many attractive weapons from this company such as sniper rifles, handguns, sub-machine guns, shotguns and even heavy-duty, fully automatic machine guns.
We selected the BT-M47 shotgun for our review and here are its strong points.
- Pump and shot mechanism
- Aluminum barrel makes it easier to handle and aim
- 330 FPS shooting speed
- Magazine holds 20 rounds
The UTG Sport Airsoft Multi-Shot Combat Shotgun fires 3 BBs simultaneously and it can fire 10 consecutive shots before it needs reloading. This shotgun is excellent for both beginners as well as professional airsoft players. If your budget is higher, then go for the
UTG multi-shot m4\/90 airsoft shotgun.
UTG Sport Airsoft Multi-Shot Combat Shotgun with 30-Rounds Magazine Capacity and Matte Black Finish
Features
We wanted to include a higher-end product in our review, and the Combat Shotgun from UTG is the one we were looking for. UTG is a renowned company that doesn’t only make practical and versatile airsoft weapons, but it also crafts superb accessories such as laser scopes, hand guards and more.
Check out the features of the Combat Shotgun and imagine holding one in your hands.
- Shell cartridge holds 30 BBs at once
- Tension-spring mechanism
- Comes with quality sling, speed loader and spare shell
- Hop-up adjustment is quick and precise
The Sports Single Shot Shell Loading Pump Action Spring Powered Airsoft Shotgun from TSD is an affordable airsoft shotgun which boasts a shooting speed of approximately 375 FPS. However, if your budget is a bit smaller, then you should go for the M47A Shotgun Full Stock Airsoft Gun from the same brand.
TSD Sports Single Shot Shell Loading Pump Action Spring Powered Airsoft Shotgun with Pistol Grip
Features
TSD is a professional manufacturer of airsoft guns, shotguns, rifles, snipers and similar weapons. This company also supplies high-quality 6mm plastic BBs which are available at ridiculously low prices. Furthermore, TSD also makes attractive messenger and cross-body bags which will make you stand out from the crowd.
For now, let's discover the highlights of the Airsoft Shotgun, one of TSD's most popular airsoft weapon.
- 4 x 30 round magazines
- Pistol-grip style
- Fires 0.20g BBs
- Mountable shell holster
The U.S. Marines Airsoft Pump Shotgun from Crosman can fire 3 shots at the same time and it works with 6mm plastic airsoft BBs. This shotgun also has a classic, eye-catching finish. If your budget is a bit smaller then we recommend the
Crosman voodoo shotgun spring power shotgun asgm47 instead.
Crosman U.S. Marines Airsoft Pump Shotgun - Fires 3 BBs Simultaneously, 10 Shots per Shell
Features
Crosman is another great brand you should know about if you are interested in airsoft weapons. This company manufactures high-quality airsoft shotguns which are identical replicas of the ones you can find in real life. Most of the products made by Crosman have numerous positive reviews on Amazon already, so it is worth checking out the wares of this brand.
For example, here are the highlights of the Pump Shotgun.
- Fires 3 BBs at the same time, up to 10 shots per shell
- 350 FPS shooting speed
- Comes with speed loader
- Slam-fire possible
How Do I Choose the Best Airsoft Shotgun?
Airsoft games usually consist of 2 teams of players shooting at each other with
airsoft guns,
airsoft rifles or airsoft shotguns while wearing
airsoft masks for additional protection. It is a competitive and exciting game, and don’t worry—no real bullets are used! Airsoft players use BBs, which are basically small pellets of different sizes. They might hurt a bit if you're shot from a close distance, but you'll be fine. Airsoft games might be suitable for you if you like first person shooter games such as Counter Strike, Call of Duty, Halo and others.
In this guide, we are going to focus on airsoft shotguns. If you've seen the movie Terminator 2 with Arnold Schwarzenegger, you probably loved that scene at the end where Sarah Connor shoots the T-1000 cyborg with a pump action shotgun, until he falls in a pool of molten metal. That scene represents how much fun you can have with a shotgun which delivers not one, but 3 or even more projectiles at a time, considerably increasing the chances of hitting an enemy.
If you want to try out a shotgun, it is a good idea to learn how to identify a high-quality one. That’s why we created this guide, to help you sort out the good shotguns from the bad ones and learn a couple of tips and tricks.
Price
If you are
new to airsoft games, you are probably wondering how much you should take out from your pocket to acquire a high-quality airsoft shotgun. The good news is that prices have dropped significantly since this type of game has become seriously popular, so you are looking at a price range between $30 and $70 for a reliable weapon. Of course, the market also offers you other alternatives such as really cheap airsoft shotguns, but these are usually made from poor quality materials and they are not accurate at all.
The price for a good shotgun is influenced by several factors such as materials, firing speed, accessories included and so on. For example, if you opt for a higher-end model, it might fire at speeds of around 300-350 FPS (feet per second) and have a spacious magazine for BBs, but you will also have to take out more money from your pocket. Still, we think it is worth it as this will give you an advantage over your less-equipped enemies.
Airsoft Tips : How to Make Any Airsoft Gun Shoot Faster
Simple upgrades can help your Airsoft Gun shoot faster than before. | Courtesy of eHowSports
Features
In the last paragraph we mentioned a couple of factors related to airsoft shotguns; let's expand on that a bit.
- Firing Speed - The regular firing speed for an airsoft shotgun is usually between 150 and 350 FPS. Faster firing rates make you a better player, but if you are a beginner, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to start with a less powerful weapon until you learn the ropes of the game.
- Materials - Most shotguns include metals like aluminum, stainless steel, nickel or materials such as wood, particularly for the grip part.
- Shooting Modes - Some shotguns have 2 firing modes, so they can fire regularly like any other gun, or you can hold the trigger and rack the pump for a more exciting, movie-like firing experience!
- Projectiles Shot - Most airsoft shotguns will fire around 3 BBs per shot, but some of them can go up to 5 which is highly impressive.
These are just a few of the characteristics of an airsoft shotgun. Novice players might want to start with a standard weapon which fires 3 BBs per shot and is not too heavy, especially if you are a girl. Once you get more experienced, you can practice with more sophisticated airsoft shotguns to show off your skills.
Construction and Design
The majority of airsoft shotguns on the market are spring-powered, but you shouldn’t be surprised to find electric models or ones which are CO2 based. Spring-powered ones basically use a mechanical spring to generate power which pushes the BBs or airshot shotgun shells out through the barrel. The barrel itself can be made from aluminum, which gives great accuracy, or other materials, such as stainless steel.
When choosing your airsoft weapon, you will have to decide whether you want one that shoots airsoft shotgun shells or individual pellets/BB's. You'll also have to decide whether you what you want is actually a shotgun or an a rifle — just like with real guns,
there is a difference in how they shoot.
It is important to know that most "pellet style" airsoft shotguns and rifles come with a magazine which can hold 20 to 30 BBs or even more in some cases. Therefore, you can shoot around 10 times until you need to reload your weapon. In airsoft games, you cannot simply press "R" on the keyboard to reload the shotgun, you have to manually do it! Still, you can be smart and buy additional magazines so they’re ready when you need them. When it comes to accessories, some of them also come with a speedloader and a sling, which allows you to load your weapon relatively quickly.
When buying such weapons, don’t forget to take into account your preferences related to the color of the shotgun. You can have one in a basic metallic color which can be gray or black, or you can go for ones that are painted using brown, black, red or blue colors. In most cases, the pump will eventually have a different color from the rest of the gun which adds visual appeal. Airsoft weapons always come with an orange tip for safety reasons, so make sure that the gun you get has a visible orange tip that won’t fall off or get worn away.
Performance and Ease of Use
One slight difficulty you might encounter with an airsoft shotgun is that these weapons are a bit heavy, particularly when compared with an airsoft gun. However, after a few games you'll get used to that and learn how to preserve your shots until you get in the best position, so that you don’t run out of bullets when you need them most. An airsoft shotgun package will also include instructions on how to disassemble and clean your weapon when necessary, and some shotguns come with manufacturer warranties, so keep an eye on that too!
Airsoft How To Tutorial: Installing A Rail And Sight On Airsoft Shotgun
How to put a rail mount and sight on airsoft shot gun. | Courtesy of Cody MK6 GLI
Get the Best Airsoft Shotgun of 2022!
A good airsoft shotgun gives you that genuine pump action feeling that you have probably seen in movies! These are some of the best airsoft shotguns on the market and hopefully you have already set your eyes on one or more. Pick yours today, and take your airsoft games to a whole new level!
Our Top Choice
Double Eagle Full Metal Spring Tactical Airsoft Pump Action Shotgun
Best Value
BBTac BT-M47 Sawed-Off Style Spring Shotgun
UTG M3L Multi-Shot Spring Shotgun Airsoft Gun
TSD Sports Airsoft Single-Shot Shell-loading Pump Action Shotgun
Crosman SS02 Pump Airsoft Shotgun
Airsoft Shotgun FAQs
How do airsoft shotgun shells work?
There are two types of shotgun shells: springer or gas blowback. The latter is quite realistic and operates similarly as a steel gun. For a spring-powered shotgun, it’s powered by each shot. Load air into the base of the gun and fill it with magazines.
How to make an airsoft shotgun more powerful.
You need first to examine whether your airsoft shotgun is spring, electrical or gas-powered. The great thing is these shotguns have a power adjustment feature. While adjusting the power may vary depending on the gun, it usually involved turning a hidden screw or dial. We have a video in our buying guide with tips on
how to make airsoft guns shoot faster.
How to make a silencer for an airsoft shotgun.
There are numerous Youtube videos to guide you on how to do this. You need to assess the amount of air in the gas chamber and make a silencer that will contain this air volume. You can use a can that’s enclosed on both ends. Use a pipe to cover the front sights of the gun. The length of the pipe may vary. You can also purchase a silencer that is made for airsoft shotguns.
How to reassemble an airsoft shotgun.
Not all airsoft shotguns are the same. You need to read the manufacturer’s manual on how to assemble, disassemble, and reassemble the the model you have. For best results, arrange all the parts on a surface first and connect each part according to the instructions.
