While you are always welcome to contact Airsoft Barracks by phone or email, why not read through our Frequently Asked Questions below first? There’s every chance that you’ll find the answer to your question there!
Buying from us
- How do I order from you?
- How can I use my coupon code?
- Why was my credit card declined during checkout?
- What does the product status tell me?
- What does my order status mean?
- Where can I find my order number?
- How can I track my order?
Information about our products:
Guns
- What’s the best primary gun?
- What’s a good backup gun?
- Who makes the best quality gun?
- What’s the best way to upgrade my gun?
- Do I have a warranty on my gun?
Batteries
Gas powered guns
General Information
Buying from us
How do I order from you?
You’ll need to create an account with us before you can complete your order. Not only does this spend up the process but you can also check your order status on line.
We’ll assume that you know what you want to order. If you’re not sure, browse the website to get more information on each of our products.
Simply add your selected item to your shopping cart and proceed to checkout when you’re done shopping. There you’ll need to confirm your shipping address and the total order cost. You’ll also get the chance here to use any discount coupons you may have.
You can pay by credit card or PayPal. Once you’ve confirmed your order and agreed to the terms of service, simply relax and wait for your package to arrive. In the meantime, you’ll receive a confirmatory email from us, with your order number.
If you have any further questions about the checkout process, simply call us on 904-527-3190 between 12:00pm and 7:00pm EST, Tuesday through Saturday.
How can I use my coupon code?
There are coupon codes on our website in the Airsoft Barracks forum or you may receive one via email during special promotions.
You enter your coupon code during the checkout process on the “Payment Information” screen, but remember, you can only use one coupon code for each order.
If you are paying by credit card, follow these steps:
- On the payment information screen, select the “please select for all credit cards” option
- Enter the required credit card information – cardholders name, card number, expiry date and CVV number
- Enter your coupon code in the “Enter Redeem Code” box in the Gift Vouchers & Coupons section, then click “Redeem”
- Proceed with your checkout
If you are paying with PayPal:
- Enter your coupon code in the “Enter Redeem Code” box, then click on “Redeem”
- Click on the PayPal link and complete the checkout process
Why was my credit card declined during checkout?
Your credit card company wants to protect you from any fraudulent activity on your card account. As a safety measure, sometimes your card can be declined during checkout. Reasons for this can include:
- The details you gave on your order don’t match those on file at the credit card company. Did you enter your name exactly as it appears on the credit card? Or perhaps the CVV number is incorrect?
- Your credit card company may be suspicious if a large number of purchases are made on a single card in a short period of time, or a large purchase is made or perhaps your purchase is a long way from your usual spending area. You can normally clear up any problems such as these with a phone call to you credit card company
- If you try to purchase an item with incorrect card information, it may happen that the costs for each faulty transaction are charged to your account, leading to insufficient funds remaining. Don’t Panic! Normally costs for faulty transactions are reversed quickly, usually within 48 to 72 hours.
- It could be simply that you have miscalculated and don’t have sufficient funds on your account to cover your purchase
What does the product status tell me?
Each item on our website has a “Buy Now” button. Sometimes you will see a status displayed instead of the Buy Now button, which gives you information about the availability of the particular product:
- Pre Order
Sometimes items are displayed on our website before we have supplies available from our suppliers. Think of this as reserving the items, just as you would with an upcoming video game or DVD. Often the item will have a bonus with it, as a compensation for the waiting time.
Usually there will be an estimated time shown before the item is available (ETA) for purchase, but remember that this is an estimate only and it may take more or less time before the item is available.
- Out of Stock
Popular items may sell out quickly – in this case the status will show out of stock, but the item may only be out of stock for a short time. You can contact us by phone or email to check, but a simpler option is to let us notify you when the item is back in stock. Select “Notify Me” next to the status and enter your email address. We will send an email automatically when the item is back in stock.
- Back Order
Occasionally you may order an item that shows as in stock, but your confirmation email will say that the item has been placed on back order. This happens when, because of a high number of orders in our walk in store, the online stock level may fall behind the actual level. Your order will be shipped as soon as more stock is received.
What does my order status mean?
When you place an order with us, we will send you a confirmatory email. This email tells you what’s happening with your order and may contain different status information:
- Pending
Your order has been received and you will be billed, usually within 24 – 48 hours
- Invoice Print
This is the first stage of your order processing. Your order has been checked for product stock availability and for accuracy in billing and shipping details
- Please Contact Airsoft Barracks
If you receive an email from us with this message, it means that there is an issue with your order. This could be, for example, a problem with shipping. We will try to contact you, but try to contact us as soon as possible
- Please Contact Airsoft Barracks (Inventory)
An email containing this order status usually means an issue with an item you have ordered. Again, we will try to contact you, but try to contact us as soon as possible
- Package Processing
There are no problems with your order and your items are currently being packed for shipping
- Shipped
Your order has been shipped
Where can I find my order number?
Once your order has shipped, your confirmation email will give you your order number. Alternatively, you can find your order number under your order history in your Airsoft Barracks account. But remember that an order number will not be issued until your order status is shipped.
How can I track my order?
When your order has shipped, you can use your order number to track the progress of your package by going to the UPS tracking link on our website. This will show you where UPS last recorded the location of your package.
Information about our products:
Guns
What’s the best primary gun?
We recommend that you go for an Automatic Electric Gun (AEG) as your primary gun. This type of gun is powered by a battery and replicates real weapons, such as an AK47 or an MP5.
Because the gun is powered by a rechargeable battery, it is the most efficient type of gun – the only consumable items used by AEG guns are the BBs.
AEGs have a more consistent rate of fire, compared to a gas powered gun, and are able to fire in fully automatic mode, whereas a spring powered gun needs to be recocked between each shot.
What’s a good backup gun?
It’s important to have a good quality backup gun when playing airsoft, just in case you have a problem with your primary gun. Ideally the backup gun should be small and easily accessible in an emergency.
For this reason we would recommend a gas blow-back pistol or an Automatic Electric Pistol (AEP). Both can be carried easily in a vest or holster.
Who makes the best quality gun?
There are many different factors involved in a top class gun, both in the interior and exterior components. A gun may look great, but the interior components may not have a high quality. Alternatively a high quality interior may not have a realistic look.
At Airsoft Barracks we sell high quality guns that offer both realism and top range internals. Here are some of the best brands around:
- Tokyo Marui
Many consider Tokyo Marui to be the Godfather of airsoft guns, with many years of experience. It speaks volumes for their popularity that many aftermarket component manufacturers specifically build their parts to fit Tokyo Marui guns.
Although the external components are made of plastic, the internal build quality is extremely high.
- Classic Army
Classic Army guns have also been around for some time and feature full metal bodies. However, the internal build quality is seen by some as not being as high class as the Tokyo Marui.
- G & G
Although a relative newcomer to the airsoft business, G & G seem to have struck a good blend between external and internal quality, taking the best from both Tokyo Marui and Classic Army.
G & G are best known for their high quality externals and well-engineered gearboxes and overall give the feeling of functioning as close to the real thing as possible.
What’s the best way to upgrade my gun?
How you upgrade your gun depends on the type of gun you own.
- Spring guns
Because of the lower general quality of spring guns, most don’t offer any upgrades.
- Gas Guns
The best way to increase the looks and durability of a gas pistol is to invest in metal slides and frame. You can also go for stiffer springs and high flow valves to increase power.
By applying other blowback upgrades to increase durability enables you to use higher powered gas for improved performance.
- AEG
Some of the lower end AEGs, such as those by UTG, CYMA, Well, etc. do not have upgrades available. However, the more up-market guns of this type have numerous upgrades available.
Depending on your budget, you can upgrade everything from gears, springs, pistons, piston heads and so on to increase all aspects of performance including rate of fire, reliability and speed of your BBs.
There are limitations on some guns due to battery capacity, gearbox sizes etc. but we can offer a full range of upgrade services and packages. Just click on the Upgrade Service link on our website.
Do I have a warranty on my gun?
We work very closely with our suppliers and manufacturers. Each supplier and manufacturer has different types of factory warranties and we will try our best to help you get the most from your factory warranty
Batteries
What do the numbers on my battery mean?
Each battery is classified by the voltage rating and milliampere capacity. The voltage rating determines the rate of fire for your gun, while the milliampere capacity gives an indication as to how long the battery will last between charges.
A typical battery for an AEG will have a voltage rating of 8.4 volts and a capacity of 1700 milliampere-hours and will show 8.4v 1700mAh.
What’s the best way to charge my battery?
The best way to charge your battery will depend on the type of charger you have and the type of battery.
For a standard wall charger, these are the steps to take.
- Find out your battery capacity
- Find out your charger output capacity
- Divide the battery capacity by your charger output capacity
- Multiply the result by 1.4 to give the number of hours charging time
If you have a an upgraded or smart charger, you can ignore these steps.
If you have a nickel-cadmium (NiCad) battery, then be sure to fully discharge your battery – using a battery discharger obtainable from your local hobby store – before recharging to ensure maximum battery life.
Don’t overcharge your battery; you’ll end up killing it!
Gas powered guns
What’s the best type of gas to use?
Gases used in airsoft gas powered guns are classified by their power. These are the most common types:
- 134a
134a is the weakest type of gas and is typically used in plastic guns such as the Tokyo Marui and Western Arms. It will give your BBs a velocity of around 300 feet per second (FPS) or less.
- Green Gas
You can use Green Gas in plastic and metal guns without problem and it is the most popular. It will give your BBs a velocity of between 300 – 350 FPS.
- Propane
Propane is basically the same as Green Gas, except that Propane does not contain silicone. If you want tom use Propane in your gas gun, remember to lubricate it with silicone first to avoid damaging your gun.
- Red Gas
Red Gas is stronger than the previous types and should only be used in fully upgraded, fully metallic gas guns. Even so, it will eventually cause wear, even to these guns. However, Red Gas will give your BBs a consistent velocity of more than 320 FPS.
- CO2
CO2 – or carbon dioxide gas – is the most powerful gas and can only be used in gas guns designed specifically for CO2. With the higher power output you can expect velocities of around 400 FPS, but the increased velocity will come at a price – sooner or later your gun will suffer abnormal wear and damage.
General Information
What kind of BBs should I use?
The guns we sell at Airsoft Barracks are considered to be competition quality and as such require similar quality BBs to perform as well as the manufacturer expects.
Do not be tempted to use inferior, cheaper BBs from sporting good stores such as K-Mart, Big 5 or Sport Chalet – it’s not worth risking your expensive, high performance gun for a $15 bag of inferior BBs.
Even though you may find BBs rated at 0.20g in a sporting goods store, take our advice and purchase only top quality BBs from us or other Airsoft specific retailers.
Good quality brands of BBs include KSC, G & G, PHX, Airsoft Elite, Excel and P Force. Avoid cheaper brands such as Crossman.
What does “Hop Up” mean?
In order to stop your BB from curling up or diving down at the end of its trajectory, a special assembly – known as a hop up – is located at the end of the barrel of your gun, that puts a spin on the BB as it is fired.
A hole at the end of the barrel close to the gearbox is covered by a membrane known as the bucking. The hop up lever assembly pushed down on the bucking, making it descend into the barrel where the BB hits it as it is fired, causing the BB to spin.
Remember that if you have a jam in your gun, you should stop firing immediately or you may strip the piston or gears in your gun. Use your unjam rod first to clear the jam before attempting to fire again. This is where your backup gun comes in handy!
What’s the safest way to play airsoft?
We at Airsoft Barracks recommend that you only play airsoft at a regulated field where safety rules are in place to ensure that everyone has a good time without the risk of injuries.
When transporting your airsoft gun, always remove the magazine and carry the gun in a gun bag or the original manufacturer’s box.
Never remove, cover up or disguise the orange tip of your airsoft gun.
While playing airsoft, we recommend a full face mask, or eye protection at the very least. We also recommend you wear gloves to protect your knuckles.
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