Airsoft guns differ from real guns, so following that logic, the airsoft accessories should not fit on the real guns and vice versa. However, this is not exactly true, at least not for all accessories.
I have compared the “real” gear and the one that can be found in airsoft stores and shops and I have found what parts can be used on both, the real guns and replicas just as which accessories are simply not fitting well at all.
So, what would the short answer look like, can the airsoft accessories be used on real guns and vice versa?
Inner parts simply do not function, but some airsoft accessories like Flashlights, red dots, barrel clamps and holsters can be used on real guns too, however this depends on the quality of the manufacturer. Many parts and accessories are also poorly designed and will be hardly usable on anything with real recoil.
We are all aware that you can find airsoft accessories such as optics at very low prices such as $30, the real counterpart would certainly cost at least $300 and this is a good introduction to let you know that there might be major differences that may not be seen at first sight.
We will go through all available accessories and parts and say a few words about them, but let’s first mention that no airsoft inner parts will ever work on real guns and vice versa.
Therefore, we will only mention the outer parts, and surprisingly some work quite well in both cases.
It is also a rule of thumb that real gun accessories perform better and are more likely to find their purpose in the airsoft world, while the airsoft accessories often lack the quality that would be required to sustain the purpose on real guns, especially if the real guns are used for real-life applicable scenarios.
Can you convert an airsoft gun into a real gun?
There are some parts like the lower gun receiver that form the body of a gun and in some cases, the airsoft gun receivers can seem like a great pick.
At first look it has everything and it seems that everything will fit in it, however, besides the possible quality metal build, it can hardly fit the real gun’s inner parts.
The most common problem is fitting real gun parts inside the frame because most parts of the airsoft gun are designed to fit smaller parts and mechanisms, after all a BB differs from a bullet by far.
Technically speaking, it is possible to adjust the sizes and fit those real gun parts in, but it would require a tremendous amount of work with various tools and a great understanding of the matter.
You would also need to have an access to all those real gun parts and it is easier to buy a gun illegally if someone desires to break the law anyways.
In any case, it simply is not worth it and we would end up with a conclusion that it is easier to create an improvised gun from basic metal tubes and other affordable parts that with proper engineering can become an effective weapon.
This is also a reason why there is no need to worry that airsoft guns can be easily transformed into real guns and used for illegal activities.
However, some states have constructed law against airsoft guns exactly because of this irrational fear.
Flashlights and red dots are always useful
There is not much to say regarding flashlights and red dots because they do not differ in any way other than the quality.
There are many flashlights and red dots on the market and some are better and some are worse, quite simple.
No matter which one we take as an example, every single one will be usable on both real guns and airsoft guns and the quality of performance is the only real factor.
However, flashlights and red dots need something to be attached to and it leads us to the next parts we are going to discuss.
Gun Rails and Barrel clamps
Without these parts, you can not attach anything to your gun, whether it is an airsoft or a real one.
Airsoft rails and barrel clamps differ in quality from their real counterparts and therefore it is not suggested to use such airsoft parts on real guns, but the real rails and clamps can be used on airsoft replicas.
The reason behind this is that such airsoft parts often lack the stiffness that is required for optimal precision when exposed to real recoil.
Simply, the low-quality and cheaper airsoft parts can not sustain the gun recoil and will simply give up at a certain time. The same can be said about the heat, the airsoft rails are more likely to melt.
The real gun rails and barrel clamps are way more expensive and are treated as important gun parts, therefore it would make more logic to put them on airsoft guns if you have the access to them and if they fit the model, but what is the purpose of that? It won’t give you an edge.
Hand guards, Rail covers, and protectors
We must mention hand guards, rail covers, and protectors because they are very common parts on guns, especially on real guns.
The thing with these is that the airsoft replicas have a problem with sustaining the heat and are very likely to break under the recoil.
Using such real parts on airsoft guns is again, acceptable, but there is no point in doing that.
Scopes
Having a real, high-end scope on the airsoft gun is a wonderful thing, in the way around, not so much.
Scopes are extremely dependent on the tier and probably any airsoft scope won’t be able to sustain the heavy recoil on the guns. The other problem is accuracy on long distances, airsoft replicas just are not built for this.
On another hand, there are players who attach the real high-tier on their snipers and report that they work great. I mean, it probably might give you an edge because the quality difference is unquestionable, but the price difference is unquestionable too.
Grips and stocks
Grips and stocks greatly depend on a model of a gun but often can be used and vice versa.
I don’t know much about grips and how often would they fit in the majority of guns, but I do know that there are some realistic 1:1 airsoft replicas that are identical to their counterparts and certainly grips fit them.
This is a broad question because again, the exact model is required, but some models definitely fit grips, so if you have a gun, miss a grip, and want to find a cheap option, you can look for airsoft grips and try them out if they fit.
We may assume that the quality is worse on replicated grips, but I do not think that is the case. Colt 1991 is known for having a polymer grip and the airsoft replicas often use similar high-quality polymer in manufacturing too.
The same goes for stocks, if they fit, they can be used. However, even though I have heard that people use replica stocks on their rifles, I wonder how long they last.
I mean, I am kind of skeptical that the recoil won’t destroy them after some time because I doubt that the manufacturers thought about real recoil when they designed these.
Holsters and Slings
There are many different models of magazines and gun holsters and some will fit both real magazines and guns just as they will fit the replicated ones.
For instance, there is an airsoft gun holster for Glock licensed replica G19 that will also fit the G17.
Not all gun replicas are exactly the same in dimensions, but some clearly are.
Slings can also fit both guns and are pretty much universal, however, there is a general idea that airsoft slings often lack quality, but it does not have to be true.
Rifle rest
There is no discussion here, I have not seen a single airsoft rifle rest that I would comfortably use with a real rifle yet.
Those polymer, non-loyal replicated rifle rests would probably break on the very first occasion, especially if we talk about some powerful rifles such as AR-50.
Just avoid them.
A good way to go around legal issues
I have heard stories where people with real rifles missed a stock and decided to get the high-quality airsoft replicated one instead of a real one in order to avoid the legalities.
Very often when buying real gun parts, you also need to go through a legal procedure before you can get the desired parts.
This can be skipped if you decide to use the airsoft replicated parts instead, however only a few parts are worth getting this way, and perhaps the stocks are one of them.
Conclusion
Well, we have found out that there is not much of a practical use of these parts between real guns and their replicas at all.
In some cases, you may save some budget or skip the legal norms, but in the end, in most cases, it does not really matter.
This is also a good way to understand that airsoft replicas are not really dangerous and are almost impossible to be converted into real guns.
Some aesthetic and functional parts are available, but none will ever increase the lethality of a gun in any case.