8mm bb's?

[Ed]

I was brushing up on my Japanese on a Marushin site and I came across this:

www.marushin-kk.co.jp/

It's a Sturm Ruger Super Redhawk.  I've seen the gun in a real steel magazine and its a high powered revolver (usually bored out for .44 mag, or .50 AE).  The wierd thing is that this gun doesn't use 6mm bb's, it uses 8mm bb's.  In fact a lot of new Marushin weapons are using these bb's.  This is very interesting...

Is this the future of airsoft?  Will longer weapons (sniper rifles, long rifles, and carbines) use 6mm's and the more close range arms (hand guns, SMG's) use 8mm's?  I say this because there is a distinction between the calibres of small arms (if you didn't know).

I would enjoy this new variable in airsoft.  What do you think?

[retraw]

I say,    

    WOOT!!

[Hadoken]

Aye, I remember reading about this a month or so ago. I kinda think it's a bit strange. The 6mm bb standard has worked very well up to now, I don't think it needs any changing.

Guess I'll have to wait and see what the advantage is.

[retraw]

 I think it is cool because it offers additional variables to airsoft physics, bringing upon further depths of engineering in our markers.

[Locutus]

We don't use markers.    ;D

[Ballista]

Yes, but at the expense of a universal ammunition cache? The size of bbs relative to actual bullets (after leaving the barrel) needn't change for varying calibers. The terminal ballistic difference of rifles and handguns is based almost entirely on muzzle velocity. The same should be true with airsoft.
... Maybe for 50-BMGs or shotgun slugs 8)

[Ed]

Yeah, I thought it was really stupid that M60's and handguns shoot the EXACT same bullet.  I think it will show some difference between gun styles.  So far, an AEG is an AEG.  The M60 and the MP5K shoot alike, because they have similar designs and similar projectiles.  Now choosing a weapon will have something other than looks involved with it.

[Ballista]

In most combat scenarios (close range) 9mm hollow point rounds have more stopping power and are more lethal than 7.62mm M60 rounds; how would you adapt this to airsoft? Me thinks FPS & distance-accuracy should be the variable for realism.

[Ed]

I know that the 9mm has more stopping power, but I don't know if it is more leathal.  The .308 that the M60 shoots has a lot higher velocity, with a higher chance of piercing armor.  It would prolly depend on the shot.

Needless to say, the 8mm's will hopefully add a new variable to the airsoft world.

[Ballista]

Yes, the M60 is more lethal at longer ranges than a 9mm - 9mm hollow points cause more damage at closer ranges because they expand on impact. This is why I think FPS and accuracy should be the variables.

[Ed]

I know that HP's plate on impact, but I thought that a 7.62 would leave an exit wound that would most likely cause death to the victim.  It would depend on where you got shot.

These 8mm's prolly won't catch on.

[retraw]

First, if you were at the skirmish, you would have been on the discussion on why we shouldn't call our guns, "guns" outside the airsoft community. Also, Try not to say that a 9mm has more stopping power than a .308. Especially because 1) Hollow points are hollow points, 9mm or otherwise. 2) .308 tends to "bounce around" inside.

Also, Super redhawk comes in; 44 mag 480 ruger or 454 casul. I personaly shot the 44 mag, it feels quite nice.

[Locutus]

Regardless of any conversation of why you shouldn't call your guns "guns". Paintball guns are called "markers" because they were originally used to MARK cattle, MARK trees for lumbering and they are now used to MARK people. Airsoft guns do not have the ability to mark anything.

[Ballista]

"Try not to say that a 9mm has more stopping power than a .308. Especially because 1) Hollow points are hollow points, 9mm or otherwise. 2) .308 tends to "bounce around" inside."

Yes, I was merely using the 9mm hollow point as an example... If you get shot in the chest with a .308 - wearing class-2 body armor - the bullet is gonna explode against the back of the vest, causing a bit of a mess. Whereas any kind of hollow point would just tear layers off the vest... You see what I mean? Too complicated

[Ed]

The Ruger that was in the picture was a 44, but I have seen customs where they are bored out to a 50 action express.  I know that I am not the expert on real steel ammuntition, but I do know a few things.  Remeber, we are comparing two very different types of ammo: a pistol round and a rifle round, with two very distinct performance angles.

Do you think that bb's should represent this?  Or should the only variables be velocity and accuracy?