The electric airsoft rifle is the premium replica gun on the market for simulated combats. Their firing mechanism provides a much higher rate of fire and the sacrifice in weight is made up for in the shear quantity of BB's fired. Airsoft guns are manufactured to be as close in look and feel as their real counterparts to give the user the full affect of shooting an actual weapon used by military forces.

The Electric airsoft rifle, usually a fully automatic weapon known as an AEG(automatic electric gun), works on a piston firing mechanism. A rechargeable battery is used to operate a small gearing system which forces a rod up a piston, compressing air that is used to propel the BB. The idea is similar to that of an engine but without the explosion. The high end rifles typically hold 400 or 500 rounds and shoot a full clip of BB's in about 30 seconds at 360 feet/second. Entry level rifles hold less than 100 rounds and fire at about 200 feet/second.

The electric rifle is the largest and heaviest of the airsoft guns. If you are looking for true replication of an automatic gun these are the ones to get, and they are the ones users of rifles are using for simulated combat. They do make mini electric airsoft guns that have the same firing mechanism but are 1/3 of the scale of these larger rifles, and much less power.