Having and using airsoft grenades in airsoft can have a huge impact on both your playstyle and your efficiency when clearing out tight corners in CQB. However, airsoft grenades come in different packages – that’s why we want to show you around.
💣 Grenades can be super effective if you know how to use them.
Basic grenade game principles
When choosing a grenade, you should keep in mind the way grenades are played on your local field. Therefore checking the field rules prior to your purchase is a good idea. There are 2 general concepts:
- The grenade has to hit the player with a BB: A simple to understand concept where an airsoft grenade has to shoot out an airsoft BB that hits the player to eliminate him. This often requires more sophisticated grenades that can reliably shoot BBs.
- The Player has to be within an arbitrary impact radius: on fields where we usually play, this is the more common variant. An airsoft grenade eliminates everyone within 5 meters or clears the entire room, regardless of whether the players get actually hit or not.
ℹ️ On most fields the grenade just has to land near the player, there is no need for a direct BB hit.
Grenade types explained
To get a better understanding of the available options, we’re going to list all the basic grenade types, going through the advantages and drawbacks of each and every grenade solution.
Cheap spring grenades
This is the cheapest you can go with airsoft grenades. Mostly plastic construction and simple inner mechanism make this the most affordable option out there.
These grenades are optimal for clearing out rooms next door. However, they aren’t that great if the player should get hit by the BB.
Advantages
- Affordable
- Simple to use
- Reusable
Drawbacks
- Less durable (not good for long-distance throws)
- Low spring power
Gas grenades
When compared to cheap ‘springers’, gas airsoft grenades bring new advantages to the table. With the use of Green Gas, these can effectively shoot out BBs. And even despite the fact that they do cost more, they can still be considered fairly affordable as they are easily reusable.
☑️ Gas grenades are considered the best solution for the majority of airsofters.
Moreover, with the Apocalypse grenade now hitting the scene, you can get a reliable grenade that fits most common grenade/radio pouches and does the job well.
Advantages
- Reusable for a long time
- Effective in shooting out BBs
- More durable than spring ones
Drawbacks
- Less affordable
- Require gas to run
- Not ideal for strong throws (may start leaking gas)
Pyrotechnical grenades
Pyrotechnical grenades are a specific branch. As the name says, these use a small explosive similar to a small firecracker to shoot out BBs or to produce a loud bang.
One of the largest companies on the market producing those is TagInn. Their imitation grenades are perfectly safe for airsoft if you use proper airsoft protection. Yet, most fields forbid these in regular games as they are loud (almost deafening) and add extra risk to the game. More on those in the following video:
⛔️ Don’t experiment with homemade firecracker grenades. These are unsafe and led to multiple injuries in the past.
Advantages
- Super realistic
- Durable in action
- Will create fear amongst enemies
Drawbacks
- Expensive to use
- Can’t be used anywhere
- Require everyone to wear proper protection
Grenade launcher
There are two basic types of grenade launchers. TagInn makes explosive rounds for their own grenade launchers. In a game, these work similarly to explosive grenades, having the same advantages and drawbacks.
However, the most used are gas grenade launchers. They work very simply – kind of like a gas shotgun. Trigger pull releases gas in a bunch of BBs. This means that such launchers don’t have an explosion effect on impact. But they are useful if you can shove the barrel into a room.
Advantages
- Reusable with gas
- Unique firing effect
Drawbacks
- A bit more difficult to clear an entire room.
- It’s more like a shotgun rather than a grenade
Sound grenades
Lastly, there are sound grenades. These can also be either pyrotechnic or gas. Pyrotechnic grenades are – again – the same in parameters as the TagInns mentioned before. With Gas grenades, you use a sound cap which breaks off with gas release, creating a loud, amplified sound.
Advantages
- Reusable
- Durable construction
- Easy to use
Drawbacks
- No BBs flying out
- Less affordable than spring grenades
- You need to buy spare sound caps
Tips on using grenades in airsoft
When choosing an airsoft grenade, consider your budget, grenade parameters and local field rules. To add something on the top, let us add 3 extra tips to use airsoft grenades effectively.
- Check your local field rules before buying airsoft grenades. This way you can avoid buying a grenade that’s banned within your field.
- Don’t forget a grenade pouch. Drawing a grenade quickly can result in successful grenade action.
- Be careful when throwing. Mostly, airsoft grenades aren’t made for full-force throws. If you overkill it, your grenade’s reusability might diminish.
