All Airsoft guns have some numbers or letters written or pressed onto the body because they are designed, manufactured, packed, and sent to stores that later sell them to customers. The question is whether such numbers are actual serial numbers with the purpose that can be found on real guns.
Real guns as we know, must be properly numbered because once they leave the company or store, they will sooner or later end up in someone’s hands, and knowing the destructive power of guns, it is important to be able to identify them under certain circumstances.
In this case, we have airsoft guns, the less dangerous, high-tier toys made for entertainment purposes and collections.
Some airsoft guns seem to have unique serial numbers, but the big majority does not have unique serial numbers because airsoft guns are seen as „toys“ and there is no need to have a strong identification for tracking purposes on airsoft guns.
On another hand, BB and air guns do have unique serial numbers because they are considered to be more dangerous and are often more expensive than airsoft guns, so they have other purposes rather than entertaining ones.
Where is the serial number on airsoft guns located?
Serial numbers are printed wherever the manufacturing company wants to. There are no regulations regarding this on any BB, air, or other guns including any other item you can find in store.
Therefore, just as any company, airsoft manufacturers can choose the place they want to put the number on.
You will often find some kind of serial number written on the body of a gun (usually somewhere in the middle).
Serial numbers can also be found in magazines and if the manufacturers decided to add them to inner parts or devices such as sights, lasers, optics, they can also be found there.
You can often find such numbers on the boxes you get the airsoft guns packed within and in case that manufacturers wanted to know you that your airsoft gun comes from a limited series, they may mention it including the uniqueness of serial number.
What airsoft brands print unique serial numbers on their guns?
From what I have seen and heard, the more expensive airsoft guns coming from popular brands tend to have unique serial numbers.
For instance, people report that KSC guns usually have unique serial numbers just as I have heard the same for KWC and Maruzen guns.
Then there are possible unique serial numbers reserved for certain Systema and G&G gun series, but I am unavailable to say anything specific.
The point is that some manufacturers tend to pay more attention to this due to their free will, but I still believe that most airsoft guns have random serial numbers.
For instance, We could also conclude that official Glock airsoft replicas do have unique serial numbers because I have seen that they pay attention to details, so even the original Glock holder fits the replica.
Anyways, I have not owned these airsoft replicas and people I know mostly have different models and brands, so I could not make a comparison on such a level.
Perhaps, you could go to the field and compare some of your and friends’ arsenal with the others in the field and come to a better conclusion.
The purpose of serial numbers
Serial numbers are extremely useful for logistic purposes and can be a great way to identify technology parts you may want to get support for or replace. This applies to almost every industry, so the concept is pretty much the same.
The thing with airsoft guns is that they are often mass-produced and indicating a specific number on each gun does not have a purpose outside of the manufacturing process.
If you want to replace or upgrade any airsoft gun part it is already good enough to know the brand and the model and this is something that can always be found on any airsoft gun.
Serial numbers make it easy for anyone with the access to manufacturer’s or store’s database to track specific items, so in case that someone has purchased a real gun and committed a crime with it, the police can know everything from the materials the gun has been made of, to the time when the gun was purchased in the store and on whose name.
As you know, when you enter the airsoft gun store, they do not care about who you are as long as you have cash.
Can two guns have the same serial number?
When the purpose of serial numbers is clear, there can not be two identical serial numbers present on the same items.
However, with airsoft guns, the story is different and serial numbers are often just a mere cosmetic that is yet another way to imitate the realism of real guns but without deeper purpose.
I have not checked every airsoft gun out there, but from what I have seen most airsoft manufacturers do not go that deep into details.
You and your friend may have the same airsoft gun model and find different serial numbers on them, but it could just mean that the manufacturers randomly printed a couple of different numbers in each manufacturing process and you simply got the one created a couple of days before or later.
State laws regarding the identification of airsoft guns
There are no mentions of serial numbers on airsoft guns in any state or in federal law, so it clearly indicates the meaningless of unique serial numbers on airsoft guns and accessories.
However, airsoft guns need to be properly marked with orange tips as the federal law states to help with the identification, so citizens and law enforcement can tell a real gun apart from an imitation such as most airsoft guns are.
Some state laws such as in New York or California demand that the entire body is marked in bright colors and so on.
This only implies that government wants to reduce the odds of misunderstandings, but they are aware that airsoft guns do not possess the power to be identified as lethal weapons.