Best Airsoft Batteries for Your Automatic Electric Gun (AEG)

05/05/18

If you decide to buy a new electric airsoft gun, it might not include a battery in the box. This means you will have to choose a battery for yourself. And if your weapon does come with a battery it's always good to have a second one charged and ready to go so you don't need to wait to recharge.

We're going to start off by identifying two battery types on the market: NiMh and LiPo, and help you figure out which battery is right for your weapon. A new battery for your airsoft gun will cost around $20-40

NiMH Batteries - (Nickel Metal Hydride)

NiMH batteries are similar to your everyday rechargeable AAA batteries. They hold charge well and they can last for 1-2 years when recharged regularly. However, the airsoft community is currently moving away from using these. Almost all rifles are able to run LiPo batteries which are similar to the batteries in phones and other electronics.

NiMH batteries are going to self-discharge when left alone, especially in a warm environment. They should also be fully discharged occasionally, however, if you want them to have a long life span, you shouldn't fully deplete them every time you play.

Quick tip – unplugging the battery from the charger when it gets hot will extend its life significantly.

Unfortunately, these batteries are not made to be charged rapidly which means if you have a fast charger they are likely to heat up before they are even fully charged. Slow charge is much better for these.

Also, if you heard that batteries have a "Memory Effect", don't worry. Older batteries have had problems as they memorized when you discharged them to a certain point repeatedly, causing a reduction in capacity. With current NiMH batteries on the market, it's usually unnoticeable and as soon as you discharge your battery and charge it again, it will return to its full capacity.

LiPo Batteries - Lithium-Ion Polymer

LiPo batteries hold more charge and they tend to last longer compared to NiMH batteries. These are the current-gen, thus, you should look for AEGs that can run LiPo batteries right out of the box.

However, because they store more energy, they can also get very hot. To stay safe you can buy heat resistant pouches to store your batteries while they're charging,

Now don't you worry, the risk of that happening is minimal, but after series of incidents with certain mobile phones using LiPo batteries and horror stories amongst the Airsoft community, I would suggest it's better to be safe than sorry.

Unlike NiMH, there is no magic trick to ensure optimal and healthy life of the battery, just make sure you never let it fully discharge. So as soon as your replica starts running low on energy and you can hear the gears turning slower with each shot, simply go back to the safe zone and pop a new one in!

Capacity

The amount of energy that your Airsoft battery can store is called mAh. The one capacity you choose will depend on your needs and the type of AEG you have. A higher capacity will allow you to shoot longer, but it will also mean a larger battery. If you enjoy shooting a constant stream of BBs at full auto you'll need a higher capacity, but some players are more reserved and only take shots that count.

So you want as much capacity as possible, right?

It's important to make sure your battery will actually fit. The more mAh, the bigger the size of the battery. In most cases, a battery of around 1500mAh will last you a full day of shooting and will fit in most regular AEG stocks. We recommend buying a back-up battery just in casethere's nothing worse than running out of power during the final moments of the game and having no replacement!

Voltage

Now that we know which battery type you want, you'll need to figure out what voltage you can put through the motor. NiMH batteries on the market are either 8.4V or 9.6V while LiPo batteries are 7.4V or 11.1V. Make sure to read your weapon's manual to find out which is best.

All rifles that can run a 7.4V LiPo, will be able to run either of the NiMHs; the reason being, a 7.4V LiPo is more powerful than a 9.6B NiMH.

However, only more expensive replicas with better motors and gearboxes will be able to run 11.1V LiPo batteries due to their immense power.

This is where the fun begins! With a correct tuning of the gearbox and a high-speed motor, your rifle can fire more than 60 rounds per second, or around 3600 rounds per minute!

There is another element to fully understanding your batteries in Airsoft. This is called the C rating. The C rating is usually next to the voltage number on the batteries and will say something between 10c to 25c. This is the discharge power for the battery.

The higher the number, the higher burst of power the battery sends to the motor. This means the gears spin faster and provide a quick fire rate and trigger response. However, this will result in the battery running out of juice quicker. So in the end it's all about what you are looking for in terms of lifetime and performance.

Make sure to double-check your replica's manual for recommended C rating as most are not ready for anything higher than 15c.

There are different appearances and styles for batteries you will come across. It's very important to ask around and visually inspect the area inside the stock of your weapon to identify how much space is available and which battery size will fit. Most of the AEGs have limited space for batteries.

Mini Tamiya connector is the standard plastic connecting pin that comes with almost all stock AEGs. The problem with these is that the metal area of contact is small and it can slightly decrease your trigger response. Also since it is plastic it can break quite easily; they're simply not as reliable as Deans connectors.

The Deans connector is a basic upgrade. We have a Deans Connector Converter Kit available here, and extra Deans Plugs.

In case you weren't sure, the battery connector is usually located in the buffer tube of your AEG. In order to access the connector, you'll need to remove the rear of the stock or in some cases the full stock itself. Also, certain AEGs, such as AKs, are front wired and have battery space above or under the rail. This means there's more space for bigger NiMH batteries but it might potentially sacrifice the Rail Integration System (RIS) area for your flashy attachments.

Chargers/Charging:

You can't have a good battery without a good charger. Good doesn't mean you have to spend a ton of money. Generally, most of the good chargers cost around 30-40 dollars. You're going to want something that has a variable charge rate (amp's) and has a peak detection to avoid overcharging. If you're getting a Li-Po pack, then you want something with a variable current setting, and an automatic balancer. Most of the chargers we sell do all of this. You want to set your charger to the appropriate cell amount, chemistry, and charge current. Charging at 1C and below is the safest bet for any battery pack. Example: 1C of a 1500 mah pack is 1.5 amps on a charge. So for a 1500mah pack, anything at or under 1.5 amps is safe. Another easy way to find the C is to take the first 2 digits of the Mah (if it's 1500 mah, take the 15) and put your point between them. That will be 1C. Some chargers may have an Mv setting. This is your delta peak. You want that to be between 3-5mv per cell. This is for NiMH packs. But the majority of the newer chargers do this for you.

If you're charging a Li-Po pack, and the charger has a balancer, or you have an external one, you use that every time you charge. We recommend customers to ALWAYS use a balancer. It's unsafe to charge without one. You charge Li-pos at 1C also. Charge all Li-Po's away from anything flammable.

The Valken Balance LiPO Charger is an affordable, excellent choice for 7.4-11.1v lithium polymer batteries. It has an easy-to-read LED indicator, and quickly charges LiPO batteries. You will maintain maximum charge without risking overcharging and damaging batteries.

Important Notice: All Airsoft guns are sold with an orange tip. It is illegal to remove the orange tip. Removing the orange tip will void your warranty. You must be 18 years of age or older to purchase any Airsoft gun. For more information read our Airsoft Disclaimer. You must be 18 years of age or older to order!