Can Airsoft Guns Break Windows?


A hole in the window glass possibly caused by an airsoft BB

Windows and glass can be found everywhere from the properties such as the cars parked in the street to the household items and it would be a big deal if you would break one with the airsoft BBs.

Airsoft guns are awesome and they lead to the potential of unlimited fun when used properly with caution, however, they are also a big threat to the glass, animals, and humans in the hands of careless people.

Airsoft guns have enough power to crack and break the thin and cheap windows and glass, but they lack the penetration power to destroy thicker materials, so not every kind of glass will shatter.

Back in the day, I have personally run into some unpleasant situations when I was operating my spring airsoft pistol in the backyard and accidentally cracked the neighbor’s window.

After all, playing airsoft in the backyard might be troublesome in some cases due to certain laws.

Can airsoft guns break car windows?

Car windows can sustain a lot of pressure and damages and although in some cases a scratch may be left, it will hardly break.

Airsoft guns in most cases can not break, nor leave a scratch on the car windows. They lack power and airsoft BBs are made from plastics, so when the impact is made it can be seen as an equivalent of hitting a bug on the windshield driving 50 miles per hour.

Car windows will remain safe even with the most notorious kids in the neighborhoods.

However, bear in mind that the car mirror glass can be shattered if a BB somehow finds an angle! It would still require a lot of force (350 FPS+) and to be hit at the right angle at a close distance.

What kind of damage can airsoft guns do to the glass and windows?

There are three common types of airsoft guns that you can expect and these are spring, electric, and gas airsoft guns.

Spring is the weakest one, but not because of the lack of velocity it can generate, but rather due to lack of automatic fire capability.

Electric airsoft gunsĀ (AEGs) and gas airsoft guns can reach over 400 FPS while being perfectly capable of high rates of fire.

With the higher rate of fire, there is an increased risk that a BB will end up in someone’s window because the more you fire, the greater the odds are.

This is, of course, only an issue when airsoft is played near the streets or backyards outside official fields, which is something that I do not recommend.

If you want to practice target shooting, then shoot in the basement or make sure that the airsoft gun is perfectly controlled which can be achieved by treating your airsoft gun as a real gun.

This is my favorite saying when something goes wrong with airsoft guns, such as a BB hits an innocent person or ends up in someone’s asset:

Would you do the same if you had a real gun? In that case, the damage would possibly not only put a big fine on you but put you in the prison.

Anyways, airsoft guns can shatter the windows, but not all kind of windows and you should bear in mind that most under 300 FPS airsoft guns (toys) do not hold enough power to break almost anything at distances over 50 feet, so even the weakest and poorest glass may survive it.

Types of glass and their vulnerabilities

These are the types of glass that may be shuttered if hit by a solid 300 FPS+ airsoft gun (especially if it is automatic).

  • Annealed glass
  • Heat Strengthened glass

These kinds of glass can be found everywhere where no significant environmental threats are to be found.

Sometimes house windows are made from these kinds of glass, so airsoft guns above 300 FPS may crack it if hit under 50 feet.

Also bear in mind that airsoft BBs are made from plastic, but there are different sizes, so a 0.12 gram BB won’t have as big impact as the 0.25 gram BB.

These types of glasses can sustain lots of damage and will hardly break by an airsoft BB even when a gun shoots automatic and a BB lands after another:

  • Tempered glass
  • Plate glass
  • Laminated glass
  • Float glass

There is glass that can sustain a lot of damage that may occur from the bad weather, so for instance the laminated glass has multiple interlayers and is made to be thick to sustain most non-sharp or thick materials unless they are sent through with enormous velocity.

Such glass can be found in cars, glass fences, and high and medium-tier house windows.

Next, I have found a nice video on Youtube that shows how the thickness of the glass can not only resist the airsoft BB but instead fight back and break it!

As you can see, this kind of glass is quite thick and you can expect that some glasses such as the one on the windshield are even more resistant.

Not a single scratch!

Of course, the gun used in the video probably has around 300 FPS or less and is not used automatically, but no bigger difference should be seen with more powerful and rapid-fire gun types unless we talk about some sniper with nearly 600 FPS.

The final take on

As you can see, airsoft guns are not that powerful and dangerous as some people may think.

They seriously lack the power and penetration force, so if you see some kids playing in the streets with some spring airsoft toys, do not worry much that they will leave a crack on your car, but rather confront them about their own safety if they are not wearing safety eye protection.

If you want to know what damage can an airsoft gun cause to a human, check my post about common injuries where I have also included a video of a person getting hit with BBs on the bare skin.

House windows and similar glass objects may crack under certain circumstances, so if you want to avoid a bad relationship with the neighbor, make sure that not a single BB leaves your property.

On another hand, if someone claims that their window has been recently broken by an airsoft BB, whether it was you or someone else, bear in mind that it may be both, true and false but eventually it is all about accepting responsibilities and prolonging healthy relationships with others.

When I was a kid, I destroyed many windows accidentally with airsoft BBs, rocks, and balls, but hopefully, the punishment was not too big, but rather just enough for me to realize to be more careful next time!

Dino

Dino is a thrill seeker who loves to share what he learns about his favorite hobbies.

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