When I get bored I often think I should take advantage of the blog feature here at Arnies but then I think "who would want to read what Im doing?" Well I suppose were going to find out.

From a young age I have been around guns of some sort as it is pretty much a favourite family pastime. All my uncles own shotguns and air rifles of some kind. I actually have an uncle who shoots clay pigeons for Ireland and it was him that give me the shooting bug!

It all started at the back of my grannies house just outside Derry when my uncle first showed me how to hold and fire an air rifle and I have never looked back since.

Some of the best times of my life were spent shooting tin cans with my uncle on warm summer evenings and it is something I hope I can replicate with my nephew and maybe even my own children someday.

This experience not only provided me some great times but it taught me how respect firearms and how to use them properly and safely. This is something I am very grateful for. Its a tragedy that many youngsters will miss out on such opportunities with the fear and scaremongering that is associated with shooting in current times.

After a few years of harassing my father he finally caved in and purchased me my own air rifle when I was aged 15. The excitement of this event was mind blowing and I slept with the rifle next to my bed until it was time to get up.

This was a sad day for the rabbits living in the vicinity of my house!

I spent many years roaming the land with my dog and my air rifle putting the fear into the local vermin population until the rifle became an extension of my arm.

During this time is when I first discovered airsoft. My dad would buy me an airgun magazine every month which included a one page review on an airsoft pistol. This really caught my eye.

I eventually saved up enough pocket money to buy my first airsoft pistol and my father took me to the local gun shop to pick up my TM Glock 17 springer! I had a lot of fun with that pistol and it is still in my room at my parents house.

As I grew older my priorities started to change and I gradually drifted away from shooting until around 2 years ago when my interest in airsoft was rekindled which pretty much leads us up to the present day.

It was my intention initially to become a 'chairsofter' and I built up a collection of pistols but unfortunately this plan was shattered by the VCRA.

My only option if I wished to continue with airsoft was to purchase an AEG which I did just prior to 1st October.

Unfortunately my pistol collection has taken a back seat recently as I gather up all the things required to start skirmishing and I dread to think how much money I have put into my AEG but I guess when you catch the shooting bug you never get cured!