Taking recommendations for my first gun/s :)

[JediArron]

So I've just joined my universities Airsoft society, it's something I've wanted to do for 4-5 years now.

 

I'm looking for a full metal assault rifle with a good accuracy and distance.

 

I also want a good brand as I heard the hopper and barrel quality determines the gun's accuracy and distance it travels (more so than the FPS).

 

I still need to get my UKARA number, but I'll be deciding which gun to buy beforehand.  

 

As for my budget, you could say I have a budget of £400.  However, I'd much rather keep around £300 UNLESS the difference is significant enough to justify the difference in price.

 

You can also recommend me a pistol, too.  I don't quite know what I'm looking for in terms of a pistol.  Let's say I have an extra budget of £100 for the pistol.

 

I would like both the assault rifle and the pistol to be electric.  

 

The type of terrain I'm playing in is described as: ' The site 'consists of streams, hills, ridge lines and very dense woodland which is near enough jungle in places'

 

So in total that's £500, and that's not including my outfit/equipment...

 

Holy   this looks like it's gonna cost a lot

 

Thanks for your recommendations. 

[FireKnife]

This is going to have been said many, many times before but this budget encompasses about 300 different possible AEGs at least that you can buy in the UK.

 

You might want to narrow it down to:

 

A design preference (AR, AK, MP5).

A cost breakdown (is that £400-500 including magazines, ammo, pouches and kit).

A look at what others have in game (so get along to games, hire and enquire).

A look at the actual sites and style you plan to play in before buying (again start playing games and don't think sniping is 'awshum' as it is a lot harder than it looks, it is a common pitfall).

 

There is a lot more besides this but that is the best thing to do first, then come back and ask when you have a much, much clearer idea of what you want.

 

Also you don't need to post this twice in two seperate topics, one will suffice.

 

'FireKnife'

[Lone_Bullet]

I give this advice to many beginning airsoft players:

Get stuff that works, and don't concentrate on things that look cool.

You can get all the shiney stuff later when you've gotten the hang of things and collected a bit more money.

 

Many beginning airsofter end up being what we call 'chairsofter' by drooling on stuff they want and upgrade the hell out of items. 

But they don't play (much) and after a while they loose interest. I know this because... wel.. I'm a chairsofter.

 

Get an AEG of choice with a cheap rig.

The basics. A pistol is nice, but you don't need it much, if at all.

 

Look around, ask for price/quality and compare ( it can be fun )

 

So, you'll need the following:

- AEG, battery and charger ( I recommend using 7.4v LiPo from the start, both LiPo and charger brand Turnigy )

- Speedloader and BB's ( Marui M4 style speedloader holds 300 BB, buy quality BBs that your playfield accepts. )

- Boots and a chestrig ( you don't want to twist your ankle, especially when you aren't used to running on non level ground. Chestrig should be as light as possible, add thingies later )

- Hydration ( much overlooked, but outdoors you'll find it very usefull. A canteen is good, but a Camelbak hangs closer to the body thus distributing weight better. You'll notice the difference when running )

- Deadrag or fluorescent safety vest and eye protection. Don't cheap out on eye protection, it's the most important piece of kit for anyone airsofting! Mouth protection if you're not comfortable andor playing with high velocity rules.

 

- Clothing: get that old jeans out of the closet. Anything old and worn and has a faded tone is fine. Ideal are earth/stone colours and vegetation colours. Nothing too bright. Grey, Coyote work well as a good base camoflage.

Don't spend too much on clothing, is what I'm trying to say .

[harborne blue]

My opinion (for what it's worth):

 

* Use eBay or a local surplus store for all your kit except guns. It's fine to play in whatever your comfortable but the tenner you spend on knee pads will never be regretted.

* You will need £200-250 for a decent AEG primary then another £30-50 for batteries. Get some cheap hi-cap mags from eBay or ebairsoft.com but don't go mad - 2-3 will be enough.

* Do not waste money on an AEP. They are, in my experience, universally <suit>. A decent GBB will set you back about £100 but remember, that as much fun a pistols are, a lot of players never use them.

 

And welcome to the money pit that is Airsoft!

[Dacascos]

Knee pads are definately a must, I'm very very new to the site and game but OMG my knees after crawling around the first day without my knee pro on were stripped and bruised all to hell!!!!

[ED-SKaR]

I would say leave the pistol for a few months, just play with an AEG.

Firstly, because pistols require a different skill set to rifles, and you should concentrate on learning how to operate your SMG/carbine/rifle first.

 

Secondly, a *decent* GBB pistol, plus a couple magazines and a good holster and a little gas will set you back £200. So it's best to save up a little and get your AEG sorted out first.

 

You could get a NBB or some other type of pistol for cheaper, but you'd be better of playing for a little while and get a sense for how you'd use a pistol so you can get the right one.

[Stormin]

If you're anything like me, you'll be so preoccupied with your awesome new AEG you'll forget all about a pistol.

They are mostly holster-fillers, and the players you see using them in-game are usually using them for the sake of using them (i.e. not because they actually need to).

 

You'll have a lot of fun with an AEG, couple of mags, battle vest (to hold the mags and maybe a bottle of BBs) and some surplus camo. I got my first set of camo really cheap from the ex-mod.co.uk website... But being surplus they only have certain sizes.

 

Eye protection wise, I wouldn't be paying less than £20.

It can only take one BB to pop your eyeball, and they don't grow back.

[FireKnife]

They are mostly holster-fillers, and the players you see using them in-game are usually using them for the sake of using them (i.e. not because they actually need to).

 

Ahem .

 

Though it did take me at least 2-3 years to go pistols only (or at least mostly).

 

'FireKnife'

[Stormin]

Haha, maybe I should have reworded that to "players that I see using them" ;P

[harborne blue]

Without wishing to divert the thread too much, I love my pistols and happily go out with just them or something lo-cap like my k98 or MP7. My local site has semi-only most mornings and you can really do well with a GBB and about 200 rounds :-)

[FireKnife]

Well quite, but for a new player (and one that asks as many vague questions as this ) perhaps a good AEG would be better .

 

Far be it for me to say gas isn't 'good' but it isn't really the best system to begin on, electric is.

 

'FireKnife'

[PureSilver]

No doubt about it - new players should forget about secondaries. You need a primary, and it needs to be a reliable and common AEG. The arguments as to why this is the case have been done to death and are easily found via the Search function on this forum. Your shopping list - buy this in this order:

• Safety Equipment: The phrase is 'safety first' for a reason; you can rent a gun, you can borrow gear - but you don't compromise your safety with rented or borrowed equipment of uncertain provenance, especially when it's so affordable. You need a pair of goggles - not shooting glasses, full-seal goggles. I wholeheartedly recommend Bollé's Cobra full-seal goggles with their platinum coating. You will also want lower face protection - either a mesh half-face - or combine the two into a mesh mask if you're going to be playing outdoors more than in. You will also need a good pair of hiking boots. This equipment is the bare minimum required to play airsoft safely.
• Clothing: You should be looking at purchasing a cheap and basic camouflage outfit - at the very least a pair of camouflage trousers - because many sites will split teams according to their outfits. Army surplus shops will let you try on gear until you have the sizes you want.

These two categories alone will cost you somewhere between £30-75, and will be enough to get you through your first couple of days' airsoft. You can easily play your first game or two in jeans and a T-shirt if you like; above all, resist the urge to spend money on anything more than these two categories until you've played a few games; for all you know, you will hate it and that money will be wasted.

• Primary Weapon: Until you have your defence (UKARA or other) you are best off borrowing from your friends or team or renting from your site. Your long-term goal - once you have your defence - is the purchase of a battery-powered (AEG) assault rifle or full-size SMG, because those are the most common, flexible and affordable airsoft weapons available. Exactly what sort is up to your personal preference, but I strongly suggest buying a common one that uses STANAG magazines, because the more of something there is on the market, the better the support for it when it goes wrong or you wish to upgrade it. If you're waiting until you have a defence to purchase a gun (not a bad idea) use the time between then and now to try different styles of gun and see what you like. Resist the urge to buy a specialist (sniper, DMR, support) weapon that will restrict your gameplay options to roles you might not even like; there will be plenty of time for that once you have a proven primary you can revert to.
• Gear: You don't need a plate carrier or a belt rig or anything else for your first few games. You'll be given a hi-cap magazine or two, and the spares can go in your trouser pockets. Again, try and use your rental games to borrow gear off others and see whether you'd prefer a lightweight (belt) rig or a heavyweight (SAAV or PC) rig. Kneepads are strongly recommended. Your team, if you join one, may ask you to purchase a radio so you can work effectively with them. You may also want a helmet, if you're playing in confined spaces or the dark. Your gear will also depend on which weapon you buy; magazine pouches and the like depend on which magazine your weapon loads. Much like your clothing, look to purchase as much of your gear as possible second-hand.

With regard to your other points - forget about a pistol. You cannot buy a good one with two spare magazines for less than £150ish and the electric ones are s*** anyway. You will be needing that £150 to spend on spare magazines, ammunition, basic tools (spanners, screwdriver bits, electrical tape), and other accoutrements long before you have even the remotest need for a backup weapon.

[Stuey]

Which uni?

 

I concur with everyone else, don't buy a gun just yet. Get your own eye/face protection, it's nice to have your own and everyone has different needs and preferences (glasses etc.). Boots, too. Need those. Camo is super cheap and again it's nice to have your own that fits. You could even push the boat out and get something that isn't DPM.

 

However, I'd also say that if your university society has their act together you should be able to borrow everything you need from them at a minimal cost.

[Dacascos]

Boots are definately a must especially this time of year. Last time I went one of the guys forgot his boots so wore trainers................................ and yeah that went well..!!

[JediArron]

Which uni?

 

I concur with everyone else, don't buy a gun just yet. Get your own eye/face protection, it's nice to have your own and everyone has different needs and preferences (glasses etc.). Boots, too. Need those. Camo is super cheap and again it's nice to have your own that fits. You could even push the boat out and get something that isn't DPM.

 

However, I'd also say that if your university society has their act together you should be able to borrow everything you need from them at a minimal cost.

University of Kent.

 

They're trying to get gun rentals for £5, where currently renting off of a society member is £20 which is pretty expensive and I might just wait until they get the guns for £5.

[JediArron]

No doubt about it - new players should forget about secondaries. You need a primary, and it needs to be a reliable and common AEG. The arguments as to why this is the case have been done to death and are easily found via the Search function on this forum. Your shopping list - buy this in this order:

• Safety Equipment: The phrase is 'safety first' for a reason; you can rent a gun, you can borrow gear - but you don't compromise your safety with rented or borrowed equipment of uncertain provenance, especially when it's so affordable. You need a pair of goggles - not shooting glasses, full-seal goggles. I wholeheartedly recommend Bollé's Cobra full-seal goggles with their platinum coating. You will also want lower face protection - either a mesh half-face - or combine the two into a mesh mask if you're going to be playing outdoors more than in. You will also need a good pair of hiking boots. This equipment is the bare minimum required to play airsoft safely.
• Clothing: You should be looking at purchasing a cheap and basic camouflage outfit - at the very least a pair of camouflage trousers - because many sites will split teams according to their outfits. Army surplus shops will let you try on gear until you have the sizes you want.

These two categories alone will cost you somewhere between £30-75, and will be enough to get you through your first couple of days' airsoft. You can easily play your first game or two in jeans and a T-shirt if you like; above all, resist the urge to spend money on anything more than these two categories until you've played a few games; for all you know, you will hate it and that money will be wasted.

• Primary Weapon: Until you have your defence (UKARA or other) you are best off borrowing from your friends or team or renting from your site. Your long-term goal - once you have your defence - is the purchase of a battery-powered (AEG) assault rifle or full-size SMG, because those are the most common, flexible and affordable airsoft weapons available. Exactly what sort is up to your personal preference, but I strongly suggest buying a common one that uses STANAG magazines, because the more of something there is on the market, the better the support for it when it goes wrong or you wish to upgrade it. If you're waiting until you have a defence to purchase a gun (not a bad idea) use the time between then and now to try different styles of gun and see what you like. Resist the urge to buy a specialist (sniper, DMR, support) weapon that will restrict your gameplay options to roles you might not even like; there will be plenty of time for that once you have a proven primary you can revert to.
• Gear: You don't need a plate carrier or a belt rig or anything else for your first few games. You'll be given a hi-cap magazine or two, and the spares can go in your trouser pockets. Again, try and use your rental games to borrow gear off others and see whether you'd prefer a lightweight (belt) rig or a heavyweight (SAAV or PC) rig. Kneepads are strongly recommended. Your team, if you join one, may ask you to purchase a radio so you can work effectively with them. You may also want a helmet, if you're playing in confined spaces or the dark. Your gear will also depend on which weapon you buy; magazine pouches and the like depend on which magazine your weapon loads. Much like your clothing, look to purchase as much of your gear as possible second-hand.

With regard to your other points - forget about a pistol. You cannot buy a good one with two spare magazines for less than £150ish and the electric ones are s*** anyway. You will be needing that £150 to spend on spare magazines, ammunition, basic tools (spanners, screwdriver bits, electrical tape), and other accoutrements long before you have even the remotest need for a backup weapon.

 

Thanks for the in depth guide.

 

Stormin above says that I shouldn't get eye protection under £20, why did you recommend the ones you did and does the fact that they're cheaper change anything?

[JediArron]

Thanks for all of the responses guys.  I'm gonna play 3 games before I get my airsoft rifle first.

 

I'm probably not gonna focus on a pistol too, just an AEG, mags, camo uniform (maybe even 2) and safety knee pads/goggles/masks.

 

I really like the look of M4/M16s

[Dacascos]

 

They're trying to get gun rentals for £5, where currently renting off of a society member is £20 which is pretty expensive and I might just wait until they get the guns for £5.

 

 

Damn that would be a seriously cheap gun rental price dude   if you get it good on ya but I cant imagine many sites will do it!

[Stuey]

University of Kent.

 

They're trying to get gun rentals for £5, where currently renting off of a society member is £20 which is pretty expensive and I might just wait until they get the guns for £5.

 

£20?! You might as well rent from a site for that much. I was president of the Warwick society last year, we started out charging £5 but we quickly realised it wasn't necessary, it's free for members now.

 

Thanks for the in depth guide.

 

Stormin above says that I shouldn't get eye protection under £20, why did you recommend the ones you did and does the fact that they're cheaper change anything?

 

Well the ones PureSilver linked to are Bolle, who are a legit goggle manufacturer so I'd say they're fine. They look interesting actually, like shooting glasses but with the added protection of a seal.

 

I really like the look of M4/M16s

 

You and the entire rest of the world

[Dacascos]

Ok ok please explain why society gun rentals are so cheap or free??? whereas Gunman and other sites charge 20-25gbp......

 

oh and what do you mean society?

[Stuey]

Warwick university airsoft society. We own about 20-25 AEGs (and all the other stuff that new players need) so we can lend them out to our members for whatever fee we deem appropriate. It was originally £5 to cover maintenance and repairs etc. but we get enough money from the SU each year that we've stopped charging.

[Dacascos]

Wow thats nice!!!!

[harborne blue]

I use Bolle Safety glasses and mesh goggles. The glasses were less than a tenner and are ANSI rated (e.g. bullet proof as far as airsoft is concerned) and the mesh version about £15. Both have taken 300fps CQB hits with no issues.

 

In fact, the only problems I've had have been with expensive glasses like Wiley with either don't fit or break. The Wileys cost £60 and the frame shattered with a sub-350fps shot from about 30m away...

 

Buy what fits best, from a reputable shooting, airsoft or cycling shop then shoot them a few times to check before you wear them in the field. 

[Pdubyuh]

He's a member of a University Airsoft society so basically the rentals are cheap as he is borrowing from a friend, where as sites doing hires are in business to make money...

[PureSilver]

Stormin above says that I shouldn't get eye protection under £20, why did you recommend the ones you did and does the fact that they're cheaper change anything?

Good eye protection comes in two types. First, there are 'shooting-oriented' eyewear - shooting glasses, ballistic goggles and the like. These are invariably REALLY expensive because they're built to very, very stringent standards for a relatively small target market.

 

The second type is general workplace protective eyewear. These are usually a requirement if you're working with various power tools, chemicals and other hazards. These are very affordable because they're made in huge numbers and bought in bulk by employers, not individual employees. The rating on them may be fractionally weaker than the military ones (I'm not 100% sure there's actually any difference) but they're still polycarbonate and rated to tens of joules of impact - i.e. absolutely sufficient for airsoft.

 

As to why those ones in particular, an airsofter's biggest annoyance is fogged goggles. The platinum-based catalyst on these new Bollés is exceptionally good at resisting that.