When it comes to thoughtful gift giving, often it’s the little things that make the biggest impression. The icing on the cake, so to speak, are the things that people often overlook when getting into a new hobby or just overlook because there are bigger, more interesting things that they focus on, like the main subject of their hobby. In our case, having an airgun or two or eight is nothing unusual. However, that same shooter might not have a good target or even a good selection of ammo. That’s why you are here, to fill in the gaps for your favorite airgun fan. Since there are several primary categories of airgunners, I’ll break this down by those categories so you can cut out what you don’t need!
Top Accessories for Replica BB and Pellet Gun Shooters
Fuel.
Most replica BB and Pellet guns operate on 12 gram non-threaded CO2. There are some rifle versions that use larger 88 gram threaded CO2 as well. Umarex Has a good selection of high-quality, clean CO2 in stock on our Website. For prolific shooters or shooters who have a fully-automatic airgun like the Legends MP, M1A1, or M3, or a pistol like the Beretta M9A3 or M92A1, the economical 50 count 12g CO2 is the way to go. You can also stock up your replica airgun shooter with the similarly economical 30 count 12g CO2 or if you just want to give your shooter a leg up in shooting, our long standing 12 ct 12g CO2 is, and continues to be, a best seller for us.
Ammo.
Replica airguns also need some ammo! The lion’s share of these replicas will use .177 caliber (4.5mm) steel BBs. We make two excellent choices for you in this department, the Hornady Black Diamond Anodized BBs in 1,500 count bottles or Umarex Premium 1,500 count BBs. For BB replicas, you can’t go wrong with either choice. Some replica airguns like the GLOCK 17 Gen 5 and the Walther PPQ M2 use .177 caliber pellets. Pellet pistols like these operate very well with flat tipped pellets like RWS Diabolo or Hobby pellets. These pellets are very economical to purchase and are packed in 300 count tins.
Maintenance.
CO2 powered airguns also need one crucial maintenance item that is often overlooked by airgun owners. That is the proper lubrication for the valve assembly. Air guns like these require a petroleum free lubricant like RWS Chamber Lube. The bad news is that it's not cheap, the good news is that a tiny drop on the tip of each new CO2 cartridge will do the job and the bottle will last for many years.
Magazines.
Our replica air pistols are a hoot to shoot, but running out of ammo and reloading every 15-20 shots can be a drag. The gift of spare magazines is alway welcome to your replica airgun shooter. Just make sure that you are getting the correct magazine for the replica that your loved one has, and order away.
Top Accessories for Pellet Gun and Other Long Airguns
It’s kinda weird to write this in such an awkward way, but the days of air rifles being just pellet guns is a tiny dot in our rearview mirror. There’s PCP air rifles, Big Bore Air rifles, Arrow Air Rifles, and more, no doubt, on the horizon. Lumping all these platforms into one category, the hottest accessories for these airguns are as follows:
Ammo.
Pellet guns need pellets. Umarex has just released the Brimstone line of pellets in .22, 25, and .30 calibers. We also have an extensive line of pellets under the RWS brand in .177, .22, and .25 calibers. It is always wise to get several styles of pellets in the right caliber to see which one shoots best in your air rifle. For Big Bore air rifles like our .50 caliber Hammer, we have several different weights and shapes. These all shoot well in our Hammer so just base your big bore ammo selection on the type of game and the distance you will be shooting. If you have an air archery gun like the Umarex AirJavelin or AirSaber, you certainly need arrows. The AirJavelin takes a shorter arrow found here and the more powerful AirSaber takes the arrow found here. Both arrows are sold in a 6-pack and at a very attractive price– in some cases, much cheaper than some traditional archery arrows.
Targets.
Airgun plinkers are always in need of targets. Thankfully, we do have a few options in this category. The Trap-Shot is a metal target used for lower power pellet guns. This target traps the pellet in the metal box behind the three resettable target plates. It’s a great challenge for shooters and a lot of fun for the whole family. Another great option is the Multi-Shot Target system. The Multi-Shot Target has a 6”x6” paper target holder on the top and a dozen steel spinning targets below.
Maintenance.
Air rifles do need some maintenance items from time to time. Once again the proper lubricants are crucial for long lasting performance. Spring and gas ram air rifles make use of both RWS Chamber Lube and Spring Cylinder Lube. PCP rifles will take a little Chamber Lube from time-to-time as well as CO2 powered air rifles. If your PCP airgunner has the ReadyAir PCP compressor, a maintenance kit is a welcome and useful item to have around. You can really score a great value with the high quality RWS Shooter’s Kit. The Shooter’s Kit is available in .177 and .22 calibers.
Magazines.
Many of the most popular air rifles these days are repeaters and use a multi shot magazine. Airguns like the Synergis, Emerge, Gauntlet, Origin, and Notos all use rotary magazines. There’s no such thing as having too many magazines so give liberally to your favorite airgunner!
Top Accessories for Airsoft
Airsoft is a huge hunk of the overall airgun market. Airsoft guns range from licensed replicas, to spring powered “sniper” rifles, to electric powered airsoft machine guns. While you may not see the fun of getting together with your buds to shoot each other with hard plastic BBs, your kids and grandkids do. Heck, the biggest market for airsoft is in the under 40 crowd altogether.
Fuel.
Like other airguns, many airsoft guns use 12g CO2 to fuel them, but there are two other primary consumable fuels that are needed in airsoft. The first is batteries. AEG’s or Electric Airsoft Guns (AEGs is correct) will need either NIMH or LIPO batteries. You will probably need some specific input from your airsofter to get the right one– don’t be afraid to ask them, or us. Some of the best airsoft guns are powered by what is known in the discipline as “green gas”. Green gas is propane with a touch of silicone oil added. The oil helps keep the valve healthy and the compressed gas propels the BB. Our Elite Force FUEL is the answer to the “GBB” or green gas question. Going back to CO2– our CO2 is available in 12, 30, and 50 count boxes to fit your budget and your airsofter’s appetite.
BeeBees.
Ok, that’s not right. It’s just BB’s but it looks so insignificant to just capitalize and bold type two little old letters. Airsoft BBs are available in many different characteristic forms to fit the different needs of airsofters. Lighter BBs, those between 0.12 and 0.20 grams are typically used for close quarters use or among younger shooters with lower powered airsoft guns. BBs between 0.20 and 0.28 are a little heavier and carry better at longer distances or in higher velocity airsoft guns to slow the BB down a bit. Airsoft Snipers will want a heavy BB, something in the 0.32 or heavier range. These BBs will travel the farthest with the least interference by wind. There is also a difference in construction of airsoft BBs. Some are plastic and some are made of biodegradable materials. Depending on personal preferences or field requirements, you may opt for one over the other. Elite Force has a full line of airsoft BBs in their webstore. Check them out here.
Magazines.
Most all airsoft guns are replicas in one way or the other. As such, each airsoft pistol or rifle will take a specific magazine. Of key importance when shopping for an airsoft magazine, note the caliber that magazine is designed for. Airsoft is universally known as “6mm”, while airguns typically take .177, .22, or point .25 caliber. Metric designations for airgun caibers are 4.5mm, 5.5mm, and 6.35mm. Airsoft is just 6mm. Airsoft rifles and pistols will need a spare magazine and just like with any other type of gun, you can never have too many magazines.
