21st Century Airsoft

Battery Guide Chart - What does all this Mean

To assist you in selecting the right battery type for your replica we have put together a simplified selection guide based on our experience with airsoft and knowledge drawn from our own experiences in the field of airsoft.

21CA Battery Recommendations

8.4 Volt 600-1000 mAh	All stock TM, ICS, and CA products
9.6 Volt 600-3300 mAh	All Stock TM, ICS, and CA products as well as Replicas that have been upgrade to around 400 fps
10.8 Volt 1100-3300 mAh	Fully upgraded only Replicas that have all reinforced parts, gearboxes, and motors. Commonly used in sniper rifles. We do not recommend using a 10.8 volt battery in most AEG's.
12 Volt 1800-3300 mAh	Commonly used in sniper rifles. We do not recommend using a 12 volt battery in most AEG's.

21CA Battery Q&A Made Easy

I want my Replica to shoot faster: Go with a 9.6 volt battery with a higher mAh.
I want my Replica to last longer while I am playing: Go with a higher mAh battery.
mAh	The higher the mAh, the longer the battery will last.
R.O.F.	Rate of Fire: The higher the voltage the higher the rate of fire.
Voltage	The higher the voltage, the higher the rate of fire. If you really want to be a support player, get a 9.6v 2000mAh or higher battery. A 10.8v battery with a totally reinforced gearbox will have a rate of fire that looks like a solid line of bb's. By Using a 10.8v battery you will put one heck of a strain on your gears, motor, and gearbox.

2 Primary Battery Types Used in Airsoft

Nicad - Nickel Cadmium

Nicad batteries are the single most popular rechargeable batteries in the world. It is important that you discharge these batteries before charging them, or they will lose their capacity and you will get less run-time in-between charges. This is often referred to as the “Memory Effect”. It is also very important that you recycle these batteries because nickel cadmium is toxic and harmful for the environment. Nicad are great for low drain devices such as stock airsoft replicas or upgrades that are shooting at less than 350 fps.

NiMh - Nickel Metal Hydride

NiMh is the newest battery chemistry available. The Ni-MH batteries have higher capacities than Ni-Cd batteries and are not affected by the “Memory Effect”. They are more expensive than Ni-Cd batteries, however they will last longer than Ni-Cd batteries in-between chargers, and will therefore have a longer life span. NiMh are great for high drain devices such as airsoft replicas that have been upgraded to 350 fps or higher.

Terms used when working with Airsoft Batteries

Battery Pack	A collection of Cells combined together to form a pack. Common sizes for airsoft are: 7 cells=8.4 volt 8 cells=9.6 volts, 9 cells=10.8 volts, 10 cells=12 volts
Capacity	The maximum amount of stored eneregy that a battery can supply the rated voltage for. Measured in Milliamp Hours (mAh). Upgrade guns require a higher capacity.
Cell	A single chemical energy holder encased in a metal canister.
Charge	The process of putting electrical energy into a pack of cells and the cells converting the electical energy into chemical energy.
Chargers	An electrical device that is used to put current into a battery pack to achieve the maximum voltage and mAh rating of that particular packs maximum voltage and mAh rating.
Conditioning	The process of charging and discharging a pack to achieve maximum battery capacity. Think of this as setting the upper and lower limits on the batteries. NiMH packs do not require conditioning, only Nicad ones do.
Discharge Rate	The rate at which a cell can convert chemical energy into electrical energy. Upgrade guns require a higher Discharge Rate.
Dischargers	A power draining source that takes the stored energy out of your battery pack. This must be controled. Over discharging will drain cells so low that they can not be recharged.
Heat	When charging a battery pack, it may become warm to the touch, a little warm is ok. However, when a battery pack becomes very warm, or even hot to touch you have have just overheated your battery pack. This is the number one killer of battery packs. DO NOT let your battery packs become hot, you are only killing the pack.
Life Cycle	The number of times a battery pack can be charged and discharged before it must be replaced.
Memory Effect	Only applies to Nicad batteries. When Nicad batteries are not fully charged or discharged they build up a memory. Simply put - Instead of using the full capacity of the battery a memory shortens the amount of potential stored energy that the battery can hold, thus reducing the run time and the voltage. This occures when Nicad batteries are not fully discharged after each use and are not properly charged to full capacity during the charging cycle.
Milliamp Hours (mAh)	mAh determines the amount of energy that a battery can store. A 1000 mAh battery has less stored energy than a 2700 mAh battery. The higher the mAh the longer the battery will last. Upgrade guns require a higher mAh.
Self-Discharge	Batteries that are not used for 1 - 2 months will loose their charge by just sitting on the shelf. Even after 1 week a battery will have a measurable discharge without even being used. You should always charge your batteries before going out to play airsoft. Discharge them first if you have a Nicad battery pack.