Softgun ·Apr 17, 2025

Guide - Battery and charger for softgun

Which battery is suitable? for electric airsoft rifles? Or which charger fits the softgun? It's not always easy to know what battery or charger you need for your softgun. We've therefore created a small guide to the difference between Li-Ion, Li-Po, Li-Fe and Ni-Mh!

Battery Guide

To power an electric rifle you need a suitable battery. There are several types of batteries for airsoft and they come in all possible configurations. There are mainly three types of batteries:

Li-Po (Lithium-polymer battery)
Li-Ion (Lithium-Ion battery)
Ni-MH (Nickel-Metal Hydride battery)

Li-Po has been the most popular battery type in recent years, but Li-Ion is the one we see is on its way to taking the top spot now! It's not for nothing! Li-Ion is the most efficient battery type for airsoft for 4 reasons:

Li-Ion has an even higher energy level than Li-Po. This means that you will get more shots per charge compared to a Li-Po battery of the same size. "More bang for your buck"! Some of the Li-Ion batteries we have in stock have a so-called SUPER capacity of 6000mAh. This will give you around 3500-5000 shots out of a charge!
Li-Ion is safer and less sensitive than Li-Po which in turn is more sensitive than NiMh.
Li-Ion has a so-called "no memory" function which means that you can discharge the battery completely (to 0%) without damaging the battery. Unlike Li-On, Li-Fe and Ni-Mh which must never be discharged completely as this damages the battery.
Holds battery capacity extremely long! If you charge it fully, the battery capacity will be the same a few months later. Compared to other batteries that have to be charged every time before you play.

Li-Ion has therefore become very popular in the airsoft community! If you are a beginner in airsoft, it might be a good idea to start with one of the other battery types as they are currently cheaper than Li-Ion.

Regardless of what you choose, it is important that you read the instructions that come with the battery and/or charger on how to charge, store, and use the battery.

When choosing your new battery, there are two things that are particularly important to consider: strength and size.

Battery strength selection

7.4v and 11.1v Battery are the most common strengths and these are used in 95% of all electric softguns. As a general guideline, you can easily distinguish the battery strength you need from the output speed.

7.4v and 9.9v battery:

Best suited for airsoft between 285 - 400 fps. This applies to most electric rifles that come straight out of the box, that are not pre-upgraded.

11.1v battery:

Best suited for airsoft over 400 fps +. High volt battery (11.1v and up) will be able to power powerful rifles with high muzzle velocity over 400 fps and provide a faster rate of fire.

Milliamperes (mAh)

Behind the volt is always written how many milliamperes the battery should have. In simple terms, this means how many shots you will get out of the battery (rough estimate) before you have to recharge it. Does it say f.eks. 11.1.v 2200mAh - You can expect to shoot approximately 2200 BB shots before you need to recharge the battery.

Battery size selection

The size of the battery should depend on what space is available in your replica. F.eks. then this will 7.4v battery fits all M4/M15 variants with Cranestock and Mini-Tamiya plug. Otherwise, we recommend that you look under related products on the rifle you have purchased/are going to buy to see which battery is suitable.

Recommended batteries

Chargers

Of chargers, I recommend we this multicharger which fits all battery types except Li-Ion. For Li-Ion battery types we recommend that you ONLY user a separate charger intended for Li-Ion batteries, which this.

Recommended chargers

Tips for extra safety:

Buy a charging bag! This is a brilliant product that helps make the charging process/storing the battery a little safer. View product here!

Note. It is easy to charge incorrectly, it can damage the battery and in the worst case can be a fire/explosion hazard. Therefore, always read the instructions for use carefully, both on the battery and the charger, before using them. And never leave a battery that is charging!

For more inspiration, also read:

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