| Most serious airsoft players understand hop up and | | | | it can travel. Generally speaking, vertical but not |
| have formed their opinions as to its usefulness, but | | | | horizontal accuracy should be improved with the use |
| not all players have quite grasped the concept. | | | | of accurately adjusted hop up. Of course, in reality, |
| Today’s installment of our new "Airsoft FAQs" | | | | many factors come into play with regard to |
| series focuses on just that topic – what is hop | | | | accuracy, including the wind and the skill of the player. |
| up? | | | | Adjustable hop up allows the user to control the |
| A hop up system in an airsoft gun is designed to | | | | amount of backspin that is placed on a BB, but it is |
| increase the traveled distance and vertical accuracy | | | | important to note that only those experienced with |
| of a pellet fired from an airsoft gun by adjusting its | | | | hop up should attempt to work with it. Usually hop |
| trajectory. Many airsoft players enjoy the ability to | | | | up is adjusted by turning a wheel, which moves the |
| hit a target from longer distances than would be | | | | protruding nub up or down to put more or less |
| possible without a hop up system. | | | | backspin on the BB. Hop up is an incremental |
| Put simply, a hop up system places backspin on a BB | | | | adjustment, and adjusting it all the way to one side |
| as it travels down the barrel to adjust the path it will | | | | or the other can cause jamming and inadvertent |
| follow when it exits the barrel. A small protrusion in | | | | damage to the gun’s internals. This is because |
| the top of the barrel touches the BB as it passes, | | | | the protruded piece can alter the shape of the BBs |
| creating a controlled backspin. Backspin gives the BB | | | | exit path too much. If you are not experienced |
| lift, allowing it to counteract the effects of gravity | | | | working with this type of system, you may not want |
| for a longer period of time. This allows the BB to | | | | to take the risk by experimenting with your guns. |
| move along a more level path, increasing the distance | | | | |