Best Airsoft Rifles – Reviews & Buyers Guide (2022)
Your bread and butter in Airsoft will be your airsoft rifle. A lot of more experienced players will go to a match or MilSim with a few different rifles, often heavily customized with scopes, lights, custom barrels, custom stocks, etc. Just like regular guns, different airsoft rifles are good in different situations, scenarios, play class, or match.
Here is a look at a range of five of the best airsoft rifles of 2022.
If these are out of your price range or you’re a more casual or novice player, see also our best cheap airsoft guns and best beginner guns posts.
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Umarex / VFC H&K 416 CQB Elite AEG
The VFC Heckler and Koch 416 Close Quarters Battle Elite AEG is a full metal replica of the H&K 416 that is revered by American special forces, and this rifle is Heckler and Koch approved, making it equally loved by airsoft players. It features a smaller, fully metal frame that is perfect for close quarters, and has the specifications to match.
The VFC H&K 416 CQB Elite comes with customizable rails for scope and adjustable hop-up. Its strong, variable rate of fire that is capable of shooting at up to 1200 rounds per minute (that’s 20 shots per second!) make it a great rifle for both indoor and outdoor matches.
The completely metal design makes it a heavy rifle, but it feels authentic and real. The only downside to this weapon is the price tag (it ranges from $400 -$500), and its tendency to sell out. If you have the budget, and can find one of these babies to sale, don’t walk, run to your nearest phone or computer and purchase this baby. You won’t regret it, but your opponents will!
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G&G CM16 Raider M4
The best beginner airsoft rifle on the market, and one of the only reliable and high-performing airsoft guns for the price. The G&G Combat Machine 16 Raider is a plastic gun, but it is heavy plastic that is well-made, and will stand up to the abuse given to it by a beginner. It shoots at 340 rounds per minute, with a high-capacity 450 round magazine. The rifle’s length and collapsible stock make the gun good for both indoors or outdoors, and the stock barrel is good and long enough to shoot accurately at long distances as well. The rifle is light enough for new players to have the agility necessary in learning the game.
If you ever played paintball, and remember the Tipmann 98 Custom, a great paintball gun that was heavily customizable for a cheap price point that was especially good for beginners, the G&G Combat Machine 16 Raider could be considered the Tipmann 98 Custom of airsoft. This M4-based AEG rifle is one of the best entry guns on the market. G&G is a respectable airsoft rifle manufacturer that typically sells top-shelf guns for anywhere from $300 to $400, but the G&G Combat Machine 16 Raider is available for only $150.
The reason this airsoft gun is so good for beginners: it is highly customizable and has great specs for a rifle under $200.
If you’re a new player and looking for a new gun that won’t break the bank, this is the rifle we recommend.
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KWA LM4 PTR KR9 Gas Blowback Rifle
The KWA LM4 PTR KR9 GBB Airsoft is another airsoft rifle based on the M4, but this one is a gas blowback rifle that runs on green gas. This rifle is so similar to the M4 with its realistic build and recoil that it is used to train American law enforcement and military personnel. The GBB gives it a powerful yet satisfying kick, that makes it feel like the real thing.
This rifle is a compact M4 model that is a great choice for outdoor play and MilSim. It is completely made with full metal alloy, and features the new KWA KeyMod rail interface, making it customizable yet ergonomic and durable. It utilizes a crane stock and has a barrel that is long enough to maximize distance, FPS, and accuracy, making it a decent gun for outdoor matches as well. It shoots from 360-380 FPS and is compatible with the KWA high power bolt assembly that boosts the FPS to 410-450. It has a 40 round magazine capacity.
If you’re looking for a realistic-feeling M4 or AR15, this is the rifle for you.
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Krytac Kriss Vector AEG
The Vector is one of the newest and coolest-looking airsoft rifles on the market, and it comes in the original, AEG version, and also the green gas GEN II version. Released in 2017, it has a unique, futuristic look that has airsoft enthusiasts modding in countless different ways, making it look like a different rifle every time. Based on a PDW and featuring a folding stock and housing, the Krytac Kriss Vector is a great CQB weapon stock, but can be modified to be nearly anything you want it to be.
The stock Krytac Kriss Vector comes with configurable low-profile flip-up iron sights, three fire modes (semi-automatic, two-round burst, and fully automatic), and rotary style adjustable hop-up, allowing you to quickly configure and adjust the rifle on the fly. It shoots at about 350 FPS and is extremely accurate.
The Vector AEG comes ready with two 95-round magazines. It is not an exaggeration when we say this rifle is built to last: the build, gearbox, and even magazines are built to withstand extreme temperatures, quick repair, and easy switching.
There really aren’t many cons to this rifle, other than the battery restriction – the batteries are stored in the pistol grip housing and can’t be longer than 116mm.
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Elite Force / VFC Avalon Saber Gen 2 VR16
This is VFC’s second rifle on the list, for a good reason: it’s one of the best M4’s on the market, probably tied with Krytac’s Trident MK2. The second generation iteration of VFC’s high-performance Avalon Saber is the closest thing to a laser beam you will see in an airsoft rifle for its price. With a high rate of fire, very high FPS right out of the box (370-380 FPS), and all the bells and whistles we’ve come to expect from VFC, including integrated MOSFET, waffle mags, M-LOK rail, adjustable stock with trigger adjustment, fantastic stock flip-up iron sights, and insanely good internals right out of the box, the VFC Avalon Saber Gen 2 is the “meta” of M4 AEG’s.
VFC is known for their high-quality internals, but when you take this baby out of the box and fire test it, you’d think it came pre-upgraded with the highest quality internals on the market. Its stock spring shoots right on the border of legal indoor FPS rules, so with 0.25g BBs, you will be good to go. The internals are such high-quality that I was hitting targets 100 feet away from me with a slight wind, and the backspin the Avalon Saber has on its shots make it deadly accurate like a sniper rifle.
If you’re looking for a rifle that will allow you to play with the big leaguers right out of the box, with internals and externals you won’t need to upgrade any time soon, and frankly just a gorgeous external aesthetic, the VFC Avalon Saber Gen 2 VR16 is the rifle for you. For even more ramblings about how much we love this rifle, see our VFC Avalon Saber Gen 2 review post.
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Tokyo Marui M4A1 SOCOM EBB (Recoil Shock Series)
There’s a lot to unpack about the Tokyo Marui M4A1 SOCOM EBB Recoil Shock rifle. First of all, as you’re probably already aware, Tokyo Marui is one of the oldest, most reliable, and most innovative AEG airsoft manufacturers in the world, and this rifle is no different. One of the first electronic blowback rifles on the market, Tokyo Marui’s M4A1 SOCOM EBB rifle gives you the convenience and reliability of battery-powered airsoft with the realistic recoil of a real M4A1 rifle. This EBB rifle is so well-made that it’s made to not need any upgrades, internally or externally (save maybe for a scope, sight, or rail mods, or a spring if you’re feeling adventurous and want a higher FPS). As Tokyo Marui’s M4 magazines are the gold standard for magazine compatibility, you’ll definitely have no problem switching out mags for the TM M4A1.
Tokyo Marui’s M4A1 has a lower FPS (around 285 FPS with 0.20g BBs), yet shoots accurately and reliably every time. It does have a lower FPS but we recommend keeping the spring the same as it’s amazingly accurate as it is, and frankly, you don’t mess with perfection.
If you’re looking for an AEG but miss the recoil or blowback of a gas blowback rifle, the Tokyo Marui M4A1 SOCOM EBB AEG is the rifle for you.
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Krytac Trident MK2 CRB
The Krytac Trident, as we mentioned before, is arguably tied with the VFC Avalon Saber Gen 2 as the best stock M4 AEG on the market. While it’s not as flashy externally as the Avalon Saber, it makes up for it in reliability. VFC’s Avalon Saber Gen 2 has been reported to sometimes have some wobble in the stock and a tiny gap in the receiver, and that is definitely not a problem with Krytac’s rock-solid Trident MK2. Krytac’s Trident also has the trademark Kryac integrated MOSFET, probably the best on the market. Just like VFC’s Avalon Saber, Krytac did NOT compromise on their internals.
Shooting dead-accurate right out of the box, with a slightly higher FPS than VFC’s Avalon Saber Gen 2, the Trident MK2 is arguably the most reliable and accurate out-of-the-box M4 AEG on the market. The Trident MK2 will not fail you and will last you dozens if not hundreds of matches and thousands of shots before needing any adjustment, replacement or repairs, and it might even last longer than that.
If you want a high-performance, no-frills, old reliable M4 AEG that shoots like a cannon and you don’t have to worry about failing you in the middle of play that will last you for the long haul, the Krytac Trident MK2 CRB is the rifle for you. With a slightly lower FPS and smaller build than the Krytac Trident MK2 SPR, the Trident is lighter, more agile, and more maneuverable than the SPR, so we recommend the CRB instead. If you prefer the longer rifle, or want the higher FPS for outdoor play, consider the Krytac Trident MK2 SPR as well.
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Cybergun SIG SAUER MCX VIRTUS Proforce Series AEG
Last but not least is the Cybergun SIG MCX, another airsoft gun used to train law enforcement personnel. It is a fully metal compact AEG, with three-prong flash hider, adjustable hop-up, metal flip-up front and rear sights, aluminum handguard, telescoping stock, and ambidextrous controls. And, as all the great airsoft rifles out there, it is fully customizable with accessories.
The Cybergun SIC MCX has an impressive 120-round magazine, and shoots at around 320 FPS. It shoots at both semi-auto and fully automatic, and it shoots extremely accurately. Despite being almost completely metal, it feels light-weight and agile, great for snap shooting. You will feel like a counter-terrorist agent aiming quickly around walls and barriers with this compact rifle.
The rifle’s only flaw is the same as the Krytac Kriss Vector’s: it takes small batteries, and it can be difficult to find extra and replacement batteries for this model. Other than that, this rifle dazzles and amazes in the field.
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