In short
- An airsoft revolver fires 6 mm plastic BBs. A revolver for 4.5 mm steel BBs, which the same search turns up, is an air weapon and not airsoft.
- Shells are the charm and the chore. In most models each BB sits in its own shell: six shots, then a reload, and shells are easy to lose.
- Gas is milder, CO2 is stronger. A CO2 revolver can be over a site's pistol limit, so ask your site before you buy.
- It is a sidearm, not a main gun. Simple, reliable and a joy to shoot, but outgunned by any pistol with a magazine.
Why people love airsoft revolvers
First the mix-up. An airsoft revolver fires 6 mm plastic BBs and is made for games between players. Search for a revolver BB gun, a CO2 BB gun or a gas BB gun and you also get revolvers for 4.5 mm steel BBs. Those are air weapons, not airsoft, and they have no place in a game.
The appeal of the real thing is easy to explain. A revolver looks like nothing else, the cylinder turns with a click on every shot, and loading six shells by hand feels like a small ritual. Among airsoft revolvers you find police classics, cowboy guns and modern designs.
How an airsoft revolver works
-
The cylinder. The drum behind the barrel. It holds the shots in separate chambers and turns one step each time you fire.
-
The shells. In most models every chamber takes a shell, a dummy cartridge with one BB pressed into its tip.
-
The gas. Green gas or a CO2 capsule sits in the grip. Each pull of the trigger releases a puff that drives the BB out.
-
The trigger. Double action: pulling the trigger cocks and fires. Single action, as on a cowboy gun: you cock the hammer with your thumb for every shot.
A revolver in a skirmish
For
- Simple: no slide, few moving parts
- Sparing with gas, because nothing has to cycle
- Every shot is deliberate, which is half the fun
Against
- Six shots, then a slow reload
- Shells are small and easy to lose in the woods
- A strong CO2 model can be over a site's pistol limit
Reader poll
Would you play a whole game day with only a revolver?
- Yes, gladly
- For one game
- As a backup only
- Never
Shell-fed versus non-shell designs
This is the choice that decides how a revolver feels in a game. Shell-fed revolvers load like the real thing, one BB per shell. A few designs keep the BBs inside the cylinder or the frame instead: less ritual, more shots per fill. They are much rarer, and most revolvers in our webshop load with shells.
With shells or without
- With shells
- Without shells
-
Realism
- With shells
- 5 out of 5
- Without shells
- 2 out of 5
-
Reloading in a game
- With shells
- 3 out of 5
- Without shells
- 2 out of 5
loaded shells go in together with a speedloader; loose BBs do not
-
BBs on board
- With shells
- 1 out of 5
- Without shells
- 4 out of 5
six with shells
-
Few small parts to lose
- With shells
- 1 out of 5
- Without shells
- 5 out of 5
-
Easy upkeep
- With shells
- 2 out of 5
- Without shells
- 4 out of 5
every shell has its own rubber seal
Gas and CO2
Green gas against CO2 in a revolver
| Green gas | CO2 | |
|---|---|---|
| How it goes in | Filled from a can into the grip | A 12 g capsule in the grip |
| Power | Milder | Stronger: check it against your site limit |
| Cold weather | Weakens as it gets colder | Copes better |
| Styles in our webshop | Python, Peacemaker | Dan Wesson, Schofield, Rhino, M29 |
Power and site limits
- airsoft, 6 mm plastic BBs, CO2
- 1.9 J
- airsoft, low-power version
- 1 J
- air gun for 4.5 mm steel BBs: not airsoft
- 2.96 J
Source: ASG (ActionSportGames), product pages read on 12 November 2026
The law is one line, the site another. Site rules are stricter and differ per site: Combat Airsoft in East Anglia, for example, puts pistols in its 1.14 joule class. A CO2 revolver at 1.9 joules fails that test, which is why ASG also builds a low-power version. Ask your site for its pistol limit before you choose between gas and CO2.
Steel-BB revolvers are not airsoft
The confusing part: the same model names exist in both worlds. The box settles it. "6 mm" and "plastic BB" mean airsoft; "4.5 mm", ".177" or "steel BB" mean an air weapon. It shoots metal, needs a backstop and is never pointed at a person.
Holsters and speedloaders
A revolver is thicker at the cylinder and often longer than a pistol, so it needs one of the holsters made for its barrel length. A speedloader is a small holder that keeps six loaded shells in a circle and drops them into the cylinder in one go. It turns the slow reload into a quick one.
With the revolver, and after the game
0 of 7 ticked
Holsters in the webshop
Check the barrel length a holster is made for.
In stock, ships right away
Drop Leg Platform — Dark Earth
In stock, ships right away
Molle Attachement — Dark Earth
In stock, ships right away
Paddle Holster for GLOCK G17/KWA ATP/APS ACP — OD Green
In stock, ships right away
Per-Fit Tactical Holster voor linkshandigenPicks per budget, new and used
We name styles, not single models: ranges change, the styles stay. At entry level you find simple gas revolvers with a plastic body. The middle is the home of the metal CO2 revolver. At the top sit the heavy classics you buy with your heart. Used ones turn up among the used gas pistols.
Five styles of airsoft revolver
Python .357 style
The swing-out revolver of police films, with a double-action trigger. King Arms builds it for green gas, with six shells.
Dan Wesson style
A modern revolver sold with barrels from short to very long. ASG makes it for CO2: the capsule sits in the grip and each of the six shells holds one BB.
Single-action western
The cowboy gun. You cock the hammer for every shot and load the shells one at a time. King Arms makes the Peacemaker as a gas revolver.
Break-top
The frame hinges open and the barrel tips down, and an ejector pushes the shells out for a faster reload. ASG builds the Schofield this way, for CO2.
Modern low-barrel
On the Chiappa Rhino the barrel sits low, in line with the bottom of the cylinder. The airsoft version runs on CO2, like the M29-style revolver from Umarex.
Used gas pistols and revolvers on the marketplace
Ask the seller how many shells come with it.
Frequently asked questions
How does an airsoft revolver work?
Gas from the grip, green gas or a CO2 capsule, drives a 6 mm plastic BB out of the chamber that is lined up with the barrel. The cylinder turns to the next chamber with every shot. In most models each BB sits in its own shell, so six shells give six shots.
Are airsoft revolvers any good for skirmishing?
As a second gun, yes: simple, reliable and fun. As your only gun, six shots and a slow reload hold you back. For a practical sidearm an airsoft pistol with a magazine does more.
Gas or CO2 revolver?
Green gas is milder and fits sites with a low pistol limit. CO2 is stronger and copes better with cold. Pick the style first, because most models are built for only one of the two, and ask your site for its limit.
What are shells and how many do I need?
Shells are dummy cartridges that each hold one BB in the tip; you load them into the cylinder like real rounds. A revolver usually comes with six. Buy at least one spare set, and a speedloader if your model has one.
Is a revolver BB gun the same as an airsoft revolver?
Only if it fires 6 mm plastic BBs. Many revolvers sold as BB guns fire 4.5 mm steel BBs. Those are air weapons with their own law, and they are not allowed in an airsoft game. Check the calibre on the box.
Which airsoft revolver should I buy?
For games at a site with a low pistol limit: a green gas revolver or a low-power CO2 version. For the collection: the style you love. Either way, check which shells and speedloader fit it, and that spare shells are for sale.
Sources
- Dan Wesson, CO2, Silver, 6 inch (6 mm airsoft) ASG, 12 November 2026
- Dan Wesson 715, CO2, Low Power, 6 inch (6 mm airsoft) ASG, 12 November 2026
- Dan Wesson, 4.5 mm 6 inch airgun, CO2, BB ASG, 12 November 2026
- ASG Schofield, CO2, Silver, 6 inch (6 mm airsoft) ASG, 12 November 2026
- Site rules Combat Airsoft, 12 November 2026
6 more sources
- Firearms Act 1968, sections 57A and 24A legislation.gov.uk, 12 November 2026
- Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006, section 36 legislation.gov.uk, 12 November 2026
- Firearms (Northern Ireland) Order 2004, Schedule 1 legislation.gov.uk, 12 November 2026
- Criminal Justice Act 2006, section 26 (Firearms Act 1925, section 1) Irish Statute Book, 12 November 2026
- Firearms (Dangerous Air Weapons) Rules 1969 legislation.gov.uk, 12 November 2026
- Batteries, gas and safety Airsoft Bazaar help centre
