This skill and mindset you must hone will be important in many aspects. First of all, what does the term flagging mean? No, this does not pertain to a game mode. Flagging is covering an unintended target with the muzzle of your gun. You might think that in a game of shooting people with airsoft guns, this is not a big deal since you're in battle anyway. This is important both on and off the field. As a pillar in firearm safety, the consequences of accidents with airsoft guns are very real, and the danger that our sport often faces is the scrutiny that comes from careless accidents. The safety aspect is often dismissed by less responsible people because they feel the scale of damage airsoft causes is comparatively low. It is time to get our collective heads out of that thinking.
See the rifles featured in this blog
To understand the value of this, first, we need to go over the four basic firearm safety rules. This WILL translate into airsoft, trust me.
- Treat all guns as if they were loaded.
- Keep your finger OFF the trigger until ready to fire.
- Never point at something you are not willing to destroy.
- Be aware of your target's foreground and background.
A bullet cannot be unfired, and neither can a BB. Though a BB hit to the body seemingly is not bad and is part of the game, it is enough to permanently injure you in areas such as the eyes (which, by the way, is why we take full-seal goggles seriously, too).
Elite Force Competition MLOK CQB
Treating guns as if they were loaded is essential. You should always be cautious and feel uneasy unless you have personally checked in some way. Though in a staging area, it would not be allowed for you to do this, before you step out of the field, you will have to clear your gun and make sure once in staging that no magazine goes into your gun. Treating it cautiously as if loaded, no matter what, means you are respecting it. The moment you lose that respect, you will become careless about it.
Keeping your finger off the trigger is easy to break if you are not careful. Develop a habit of resting your trigger finger off the trigger. Some guns have very light triggers, too, so aside from a working safety, your finger should be doing its part, too.
Elite Force Competition MLOK CQC
The third rule is pertaining exactly to what flagging is. Do NOT cover something you are not intending to shoot with the muzzle of your gun. Treat your weapon's muzzle as if a laser beam is coming out of it. In the game, it is essential to not shoot your friends especially when maneuvering in confined areas. When you are off the field or in the staging area, this is where this rule becomes essential. Suppose you diligently observe rule #3, and your gun is not pointed at anyone at any time. In that case, your chance to accidentally shoot someone will be significantly mitigated even with a mechanical failure of the safety of the gun.
And finally, if you are in a situation where you do have your gun pointed at something, you want to make sure things in your background are also okay to shoot at/shoot towards. Understand that even within a game, friendly fire, though forgivable, is still regrettable. If this were real life, you cannot take it back.
Here are some examples of significant violations of the safety rules:
- Horseplay in the staging area
- Test firing guns at the wrong part of your field
- Casually pointing the guns at things/twirling a gun around your finger
- Gripping a gun improperly
- Loading your gun in the staging area
We are here to enjoy the sport and have fun playing BB wars. We must all be responsible for ourselves and play safely to ensure that it doesn't get taken away. You can have 100 refs on the field and though their job is to enforce rules, their response is reactionary at best if you do something stupid at your local field. No one likes to be chewed out, but this is too important to dismiss. Within your group, you must be accountable and a range safety officer for yourself and others. This is an excellent way to teach other players to respect the game and each other. If we don't work together on this, this sport is dead. If you encounter someone who blatantly disregards this, then for your sake, you should stay away from them or even let your local field staff know so they can be addressed. Airsoft has no room for these types of people, and if you have respect for yourself and others around you, you will feel the same way.
