Not everyone has all the money in the world. Sometimes you have to set your expectations in the right place.
Anyone who has read my other blogs know that I got my first taste of the airsoft world with a cheap spring M9 at a hobby show. I had no grandeur idea that I was going to be at all competitive it, and it wasn’t long after that I ended up with a more expensive WE-Tech 1911. Over a thousand airsoft games later (and even being employed in the airsoft industry for a couple years) have taught me a few things about cheap airsoft guns.
What I ended up discovering is that the guns really went up in overall quality, but you really needed bypass a certain price point to see it. There is a threshold of quality and cost that sits in that grey area just before the quality increases.
So, if you’re the type currently with only $100 to spend on your airsoft pistol, well our first piece of advice is save an additional $30. This will give you HUGE levels quality. A KWA ATP runs around $130 and has the quality levels of a gun closer to $160. Check out KWA ATP review for more information.
If you can spare that extra cash, then check out our best airsoft pistol list.
If you can’t, well that’s okay. I’ve compiled a list of the best airsoft pistols you’ll find under $100.
The fact is, not everyone has the money to be able to start with a high quality AEG or a full metal KWA or TM. This means that you DEFINITELY don’t want to end up with a bad airsoft product – as your money is that much more important.
We made sure that all the choices below had the most important things covered, so while you’re not getting quite a high end (or even middle of the road) product, you’re getting something that should last quite a few basic games for your beginner airsoft players.
Quick List for Airsoft Pistols under $100:
Let’s find you the Best Cheap Airsoft Pistol:
The writers at Airsoft Core easily have had thousands of hours playing airsoft with aegs and pistols and we’ve really put them through the paces. Rest assured that our goal is to save you time and headaches that come with garbage products. We wouldn’t make any recommendations that we would also give to a friend.
Let’s get started on our list of cheap airsoft pistols for beginners.
1. APS A-CAP Combat Adaptive Pistol Co2
| Type: | Co2 |
| Blowback: | Yes |
| Construction: | Metal Slide / Polymer Frame |
| FPS: | 315 FPS w/ 0.20g |
| Magazine Capacity: | 26 Rounds |
| Gas Consumption: | Good |
Someone took a look at the KWA ATP and thought to themselves, “I can make a cheaper version of it.” That’s how we’ve gotten here. It’s a redesign of an airsoft pistol that itself was a redesign of the famous Glock.
Powered by Co2, this airsoft gun is rather snappy on each shot making it fun to shoot. We were able to easily hit targets at 40 – 50 feet away and the trigger release isn’t too bad considering the overall low price.
Some features it is missing from it’s ATP cousin is the trigger safety (although it sort of comes with its own button safety like on hunting rifles.)
All in all this is a pretty decent starter airsoft pistol as it has a lot of the external fixings like an accessory rail, triple white dot sights, and pleasant feedback on each shot.
2. WE-Tech Full Metal 1911 M45A1
| Type: | Green Gas |
| Blowback Action: | Yes |
| Construction: | Metal Slide / Metal Frame |
| FPS: | 320 FPS w/ 0.20g |
| Magazine Capacity: | 16 Rounds |
| Gas Consumption: | Okay |
WE-Tech pistols are middle of the line in terms of overall performance and quality in the world of airsoft pistols. This particular pistol is below most of the high performers in our other list, but under $100? This pistol stands out close to the top of our cheap airsoft pistol list.
This particular 1911 is modeled after the M45A1, which is the USMC’s choice for a close quarter battle pistol. On the exterior, it features everything you’d expect from a higher end pistol: front accessory rail. front and rear serrations, grip safety, ambidextrous thumb safety, high visibily front and rear sights, and lanyard ring.
We have taken multiple gas blowback WE-Tech 1911’s out to the field and they perform quite adequately in terms of range and accuracy. Unfortunately, we’ve run into some reliability issues with this line of airsoft pistols. We’ve had a few jams on the field, one of which required us to go back to the staging area to field strip and clean the airsoft gun before it cycled properly.
We are able to hit targets at the 50 feet mark quite easily.
3. Umarex Walther P99 Co2 Airsoft Pistol
| Type: | Co2 |
| Blowback Action: | Yes |
| Construction: | Metal Slide / Plastic Frame |
| FPS: | 280 FPS w/ 0.20g |
| Magazine Capacity: | 15 Rounds |
| Gas Consumption: | Okay |
This is the cheapest airsoft pistol on this list – and it shows.
When it comes to the general performance of this airsoft gun, it does hit targets at 40 feet with 0.25g airsoft bbs rather easily. The hop up is completely fixed and the pistol itself houses the Co2 cannister.
The magazine for this pistol is of the “stick” variety, so it doesn’t match the real pistol at all.
The only reason it really made it on our list is because we felt it was the best choice among the “hyper cheap” Co2 pistols. Firing this kind of airsoft gun helps remind us how good the higher level airsoft guns are – sometimes it’s hard to appreciate what you have until you need to use an inferior product. Considering the price range, it isn’t a bad choice, but for another 15 to 20 dollars you’ll get far better.
If you’re looking for a similar looking pistol without the blowback function, you can consider the Combat Zone Enforcer. But, in our eyes, that is a significant downgrade.
With that said, it does hit targets well, there is gas powered blow back action, it looks quite unique.
4. ASG STI Full Metal Tac Master 1911 Airsoft GBB Pistol
| Type: | Green Gas |
| Blowback: | Yes |
| Construction: | Full Metal Slide / Metal Frame |
| FPS: | 300 FPS w/ 0.20g |
| Magazine Capacity: | 26 Rounds |
| Gas Consumption: | Good |
If your goal is to have the best quality pistol you can for under $100, then you might as well stop here.
ASG is what we call a “wild card” company. This means they don’t usually manufacture their own products and instead have other airsoft manufacturers make airsoft guns for them, effectively rebranding it.
The STI Tac Master features the fully licensed trademarks over a KJW 1911. KJW airsoft guns are known to be very “middle of the road” in terms of overall airsoft pistol grade. At the $100 mark? It now is classified as gold.
We usually place their gas powered 1911’s a big higher than the WE-Tech 1911’s because they are far more upgradable, compatible with many TM parts.
So, you’re basically getting a KJW airsoft gun at a much cheaper price range than other KJW airsoft pistols. In fact, a KJW pistol even landed on our list of the best airsoft 1911 pistols on the market.
If you can only max out at $100 for your airsoft pistol budget, then get this gun. Externally, it has all the features you’d expect from a tactical 1911: ambidextrous manual safety, grip safety, front tactical rail for accessories, and a 3 dot sight.
5. WE-Tech Full Metal M9
| Type: | Green Gas |
| Blowback Action: | Yes |
| Construction: | Metal Slide / Metal Frame |
| FPS: | 345 FPS w/ 0.20g |
| Magazine Capacity: | 26 Rounds |
| Gas Consumption: | Good |
We were rather impressed with this WE-Tech airsoft pistol. When we first started airsofting, WE-Tech was known for being a bit of a bargain brand. They offered very affordable airsoft pistols, but the mentality was that you got what you paid for. They were gas hogs made of heavy metal with a reputation of jamming up often.
It seems that they’ve really straightened themselves out in the last decade or so. This airsoft Beretta M9 has very solid performance and the external finish is fairly decent as well.
We took this airsoft pistol out for quite a few rounds before deciding that it was definitely worth adding to this list of budget friendly airsoft guns. It is easily the best M9 you can pick up under $100.
6. KJW Mark 2 Co2 Non Blowback Airsoft Pistol
| Type: | Co2 |
| Blowback: | No |
| Construction: | Metal Slide / Polymer Frame |
| FPS: | 400 FPS w/ 0.20g |
| Magazine Capacity: | 16 Rounds |
| Gas Consumption: | Great |
Now this is a unique pistol.
Modeled after the famous Ruger .22lr handgun, this airsoft semi automatic has a lot of punch at 400 fps. This does mean that you’re not likely going to be able to take this to an indoor airsoft game, but it should be good to go for field games. If not, it’s just an awesome pistol to just plink BB’s with.
This non blow back pistol does feature a fiber optic front sight making target acquisitions easy. The non blow back design does mean it is quite efficient with its gas, a single co2 cartridge was able to last 4 magazines on average.
Evike.com does say that it is compatible with green gas Mk1 magazines, but we didn’t have of those magazines on hand to actually confirm that.
With some minor adjustment the out-of-the-box performance of this airsoft pistol was actually quite good, hitting targets at 55 feet fairly easily with 0.25g airsoft bbs. The high visibility front sights did help quite a bit.
7. Umarex H&K VP9 Co2 Airsoft Pistol
| Type: | Co2 |
| Blowback: | Half Blow Back |
| Construction: | Metal Slide / Polymer Frame |
| Muzzle Velocity: | 325 FPS w/ 0.20g |
| Magazine Size | 15 Rounds |
| Gas Consumption: | Excellent |
This co2 blow back airsoft pistol isn’t too bad really.
Modeled after the Heckler and Koch VP9 (which is a GREAT shoot in regards to the real steel), this airsoft pistol clearly needed to cut some corners to justify it’s low price.
For starters, it isn’t a true gas blowback airsoft pistol and instead of a half blowback. In other words, the internals function like a non-blow back, but the externals do simulate the slide cycling.
What does this mean for the player? Well, it does mean that it actually cycles fairly fast, and it keeps the perks of very high gas efficiency. However, it drops the ball fairly heavily in terms of realism.
For starters, a good chunk of the airsoft gun’s externals are strange and not quite true to the real steel. For example, the safety on this pistol is on the right side of the gun in a location that isn’t true to the real firearm. The right side slide lock is non-functional as well.
It does sort of make up for this by having fully licensed trademarks, but picking it up you can FEEL that they cut a lot of corners in terms of general build grade.
In terms of shooting, this pistol did function fine, although we noted that the trigger felt extremely “crunchy.” It’s not fun to shoot, and isn’t quite as accurate as we’d like it to be (only getting reliable hits at 35 feet versus 40 feet even with heavier airsoft bbs.)
8. Elite Force Full Metal 1911 A1 Co2 Airsoft Pistol
| Type: | Co2 |
| Blowback: | Yes |
| Construction: | Metal Slide / Metal Frame |
| Muzzle Velocity: | 345 FPS w/ 0.20g |
| Magazine Size | 14 Rounds |
| Gas Consumption: | Good |
When Elite Force first came to the airsoft pistol scene they were made famous by this pistol. Their 1911 (OEMed by KWC) was an outstanding entry in the budget gas blowback airsoft gun market.
Made of full metal, this 1911 is based on the famous M1911A1, which is the classic WW2 style pistol. Featuring all the classic trimming like the vintage hammer, short manual safety, and original grips, this co2 pistol has quite the snappy blow back. The trigger is clean and crisp (as most M1911’s are) making this one of the best airsoft pistols for the price.
Powered by a co2 cartridge in the magazine (meaning that each magazine will need its own Co2 cartridge) each cannister will last 4-5 magazines making this quite efficient.
We fired airsoft bbs at targets from 50 feet away and were able to get reliably hits.
In general, this is one of the best airsoft hand guns you can get for something in the 100 dollar price range. Great job Elite Force!
What is the Best Cheap Airsoft Pistol under $100?
We’ve used a LOT of different airsoft pistols during our decades of playing this game. While the cheap airsoft pistols aren’t our real cup of tea (for obvious reasons) we do fully understand why sometimes you have to spend less on your airsoft guns.
Of all the airsoft pistols we’ve used on the field, the clear choice for anyone looking to spend less than a hundred bucks is the: ASG STI Tac Master 1911. We’re not exactly sure how this KJW airsoft pistol is able to be sold at a lower price than the base KJW model, but here it is. You’re basically getting an extra $20 – $30 of value in higher build quality. It is the best airsoft gun for under $100.
Frequently Asked Questions:
If I had more than $100 to spend on an airsoft pistol, what should I get?
If I had more than $100 to spend on an airsoft pistol, what should I get?Check out our best airsoft pistol list for the answer to this. The vast majority of the airsoft players on the fields we’ve visited selected a pistol from that list.
What are the best airsoft brands for pistols?
Entry Level Brands
We can expect these airsoft products to cost around $100.
- HFC
- WinGun (WG)
- WE-Tech / WE-USA
Intermediate Brands
These airsoft products are actually fairly decent and we’d feel confident with any guns from here. You can except the prices here to be around $120 – $140.
- KJW
- KWC
- VFC
High Class Brands
These are about as good as it gets. The best airsoft pistols are in this category. Prices here will end up running $130+.
- KWA
- KSC
- TM
Wild Card Brands
These brands don’t actually make their airsoft guns. Instead, they’re usually rebrands (OEM) from one of the manufacturers listed above, or sourced from a place with zero reputation. Sometimes their airsoft guns are great, and sometimes they’re not – it depends on each individual product line. The main thing you get here is usually better warranties and officially licensed branding of the real sidearms.
- Elite Force / Umarex
- APS
- ASG
- Cybergun
- Sig Sauer Proforce
If you want a more indepth breakdown, we have a guide on the best airsoft brands here.
Are there any spring powered airsoft guns you’d recommend?
What we’ve discovered, for the most part, is that spring powered pistols are all about the same in terms of overall quality and performance. If you just enjoy having the feeling of sidearm in your hand, you’re looking to cosplay, or you just want to play hard mode, then a spring airsoft gun might be okay for you.
But, we don’t usually recommend picking them up.
Green gas or Co2?
We prefer green gas airsoft pistol ourselves, but there’s a decent argument to be made for Co2. Check out our article on green gas vs co2 for more info.
Can I remove the orange tip?
United States has federally mandated that all airsoft products are to be sold with the orange tip. This is really for your own safety as you don’t want any police agencies believing you have a real weapon (which the orange tip helps ID it as an airsoft product). You’d hope that United States law enforcement would be able to tell the difference between an airsoft gun and a real weapon, but it is not really reasonable for them to assume. This is why the orange tip is essential and removing them can create a problem.
With that said, you’ll find a lot of airsoft players end up removing their orange tip. Hopefully they know the risks involved. Ultimately, we want you to be safe, and the airsoft hobby / sport truly does NOT need any tragedies and you want to reduce dangerous situations as much as you can.
By removing the orange tip you can create other legal concerns as well.
