This question, “Do BB guns have orange tips?” is essentially also asking the question, “Are BB guns toys?”
BB guns do not have orange tips. Bright orange tips are placed on the end of toy guns to distinguish them from real guns. Simply put, BB guns are not toys, and while they are significantly less powerful than a firearm, they are real guns able to inflict harm.
What you would expect from an airsoft gun and a BB gun are similar, but they have distinct differences that make BB guns more dangerous than an airsoft gun.
BB Guns are Not Toys
BB guns are not toys. They have enough power to cause serious injury, and if they strike the right spot, even death. The bright orange tips we see on the end of airsoft guns are there to announce to the world that it is not a threat to your health and safety.
If you get yourself into an airsoft battle, one thing that you might notice, is that airsoft guns do not really hurt all that much. They can sting and cause nasty welts if you shoot someone point blank with them on bare skin, but are otherwise not dangerous unless an unfortunate accident causes an airsoft gun to strike an eye.
You should always wear eye protection when using an airsoft gun, and it would be a good idea to wear thick enough clothing that you wouldn’t get a nasty welt when being shot point blank by your best friend.
Despite the fact that they can sting if you are not careful, airsoft guns are designed to be shot at other people safely and are widely considered toys, but because they almost always look like real firearms, there needs to be a way for everybody in the area to know that you are not retaliating with a lethal firearm (other than the noise, which comes after the shot is fired).
This orange tip can also keep situations from escalating, such as if a police officer were to see you and a group of friends with what looks to be serious automatic firearms. If the officer sees the orange tips, he knows that they are just toys.
Airsoft guns have that name for a reason. They are usually battery and spring powered guns that shoot plastic BB’s at about 200 to 300 feet per second, with the outliers shooting at 500 feet per second.
BB guns on the other hand shoot steel, copper, or sometimes lead balls with much more mass moving at least 300 feet per second, often reaching 500 fps, and sometimes going as much as 900 or more fps.
A metal ball traveling at 300 fps has more momentum than a plastic one moving at the same speed, an increase in momentum that actually allows low end BB guns to pierce skin at close range. Many BB guns have enough energy to hunt pests, and will seriously injure a person if they are used irresponsibly.
So just be careful and remember that your BB gun, even though it is not a firearm, is simply not a toy.
