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New to Airsooft, going to Hong Kong:)


Ubijza

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Hello!

My first post, although i have been lurking here the past couple of months... :D

 

My history briefly: 25 years old,student, live in Manchester, have zero experience of airsoft(thinking of changing that:), going to Hong-Kong in a couple of weeks for couple of weeks, hope to get an AEG rifle + pistol (GBB? NBB? AEP?) there and maybe to get some skirmishing experience while there...

Just ANY sort of advice (ie on guns,Hong-Kong (it'll be my first visit and I don't speak Cantoneese), etc,etc......) is very welcome.

 

Specifically, I have a few questions as well:

1. New VS Old... I assume newer AEGs and GBBs are "better" then the older models. How will I be able to distinguish between them??

 

2. Need precision/range and reliability. From what I understand I needn't worry about AEGs (all decent makes are about the same) and and the mo I lean towards a CA rifle. With GBBs it seems to be a different matter: leaks,overfreezing,misfeeds...The forums are FULL of this:)

I have read that newer GBBs like TM hi-Kapa have a separate chamber for gas expansion to solve the overfreezing problem... Do I need to worry about this?

3. How many shots can a GBB fire before overfreezing?

 

4. Where is the fabled CA shop in Hong Kong? Can you really test any gun before buying?

 

Thanks in advance to anybody and everybody!

 

Need to dash, I'll be back later! :)

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I went to Hong Kong just after New Years (ie, the regular one, not the Chinese one) and it was cool, I'll repost my report here (because I didn't even post it on Arnies):

 

Wow! What a day! Just got back from a day chock full of airsoft shopping, and boy was it just jaw-dropping! (don’tcha just love all the exclamation points I’m throwing in?!)

 

First off, I went to Mong Kok…this is the airsoft area in Hong Kong, with shops galore! After stumbling around like a Arkansas farm boy just getting to a big city and having no clue as to what I was doing…I actually stumbled onto the first airsoft shop that I’ve ever been in. It wasn’t all that big, they didn’t have a website, and there were only 4 guns in the store, but it was something. I asked about where all the other stores were, where I could get all of the stuff that I both wanted and/or needed to get for friends and such, and they directed me to the Classic Army store that was around the corner. Pretty much for one city block is nothing but Hobby and Model shops, with several random shops and restaurants thrown in. Bear in mind, none of these shops are open before, oh, 1300 local time, and some don’t open until much later. Why? No clue.

 

The Classic Army store is pretty much brand spanking new. Very nicely laid out, all of their AEGs and some of their other guns are also in the display cases, along with all of their spares stuff, scopes, etc. in the brightly lit store. They were the second most helpful of all 10 or so stores that I stopped in, and the saleswoman’s English was good. I picked up what I could get there, and then trundled on to the next store.

 

That next store that I stopped in at was called “S-3.” They’re a well-stocked store, with a sales staff that was exceptionally knowledgeable. I sat and talked with the guy who has worked there for a long time, and he was a nice guy (Most of the shops, I was to find, have one guy that actually can speak good English, and the rest will just stare at you like you’re from another planet!). The S-3 store had the best deals, with STAR M249s starting with the MkIIs for around HK$3200…for those of us not in the know about conversions, the exchange rate is about HK$8 to US$1. That means that they were selling them for about US$400! They also had several weapons that they allowed me to handle for awhile, namely that STAR M249 MkII (its incredibly light…), TM M14 (wood stock version, and if you do decide to get one of them, do yourself a favor and either get the green stock or buy yourself a real-wood kit), and the SRC M4A1. They also allowed me to fire the new WE 3.8in Baby Hi-Capa, which according to the guy there, it has a much higher psi rating than anything from anyone else. While the gun was nice, it wasn’t my cup ‘o’ tea, and so I didn’t go overboard and buy it. The gentleman there also said that since Classic Army moved in two doors down, they told everyone in all of the airsoft shops in HK that they wouldn’t get wholesaler pricing anymore. Maybe this is a signal that they may eventually start selling the stuff themselves, but I’m not counting on it.

 

I also ventured five doors down (past the CA shop again…its really pretty!) to DEN Trinity. They have a JAM-packed store, fairly nice, and there I was able to find a few other items that I needed to pick up for friends. The staff there didn’t seem to eager to help me like the guys at S-3, or even Classic Army, but they were helpful enough.

 

After getting pretty much everything that I absolutely needed for the team and myself, I went browsing around for anything else that I could possibly find and check out for myself. I found War IV Toys, and they were delighted that I had taken the time to come down to their store. Everywhere I went, there were some wild airsoft guns to be found, several of which varied from store to store. The staff at War IV Toys is exceptionally nice, and they were kind enough to show me several pieces of airsoft kit that I might be looking into in the future.

 

Next shop that I ventured into was Guns’N’Guys. This was a letdown, as the store staff seemed more content to sit around and not help me out, but I did manage to fiddle around some with their TOP M60E3, which was a nice enough piece of kit, but I’ll wait until CA or someone else comes out with it. Anyway, I ran about as fast as I could away from them.

 

I found another store that was really nice, but I didn’t catch a name or grab a business card (sorry guys). They allowed me to handle the G&P SPR/A, which was a whole lot lighter than I expected it to be. It still felt well built, however. I also held the STAR UMP, which was a lot nicer feeling than their M249, which wasn’t all that bad. Finally, they handed me a STAR SA80A2, and let me tell you. That gun is N-I-C-E NICE! The build quality is most excellent, the plastic bits are nice, and everything is well planned. (While I’m talking about the STAR SA80A2, let me slip in here with something that I caught from the saleswoman at CA. CA MAY or MAY NOT come out with their own SA80 versions in order to compete…we shall see, however she seemed fairly certain before she got very quiet and hush-hush about it…). One problem: the metal is very shiney…especially the magazine. I also heard that there is a problem with the feed system on their high-capacity magazines, but since I wasn’t able to put the gun through its paces, I was not able to determine. The SA80 is extremely heavy, almost on par with a fully-loaded M16A2 with M203 attachment, for those of us who have handled that piece. This was also the only store that had the STAR SA80s, but the others said that they just hadn’t yet received their shipments yet.

 

Some other stores that I saw but didn’t have a chance to go into: Tokyo Model. Wasn’t open, when I went around, and by the time I could have gone to check it out, the visual overload of so much airsoft was getting to me. But while I have time, I’ll write a blurb about the airsoft “war games” scene in HK. It’s a combination of US and Japanese, they still do mostly speedball, with more teams and slightly more uniformity. Unlike in Japan (from what I gather from reading Stinger’s stuff) where its pretty much everyone for themselves, and they all have differing get-ups and such, there is a definite desire in HK to have teams. The problem as I see it is that there is little land for the guys that want to play on to play on.

 

So ended a fine day of perusing the shops of Mong Kok and checking out the airsoft scene in Hong Kong. I know now that I will definitely come back one day (hopefully in the near future) and pick up a bunch more stuff.

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WOW! Thanks for that Wraith18!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think I will copy/paste different descriptions, directions,maps and then printe them off before going...

So basically, ALL the best shops are in the same area - Mong Kok? CA is there, GnG, S3,Den Trinity, War4toys... What about Uncompany, RedWolf? Also in Mong Kok?

 

@Nuclearfeet:

 

Thanks for the advice! I know that TM's AEGs are generally the most respected for reliability. I am actually considering their AK47/spetsnaz beta... But I am also thinking about ISC's mp5/m4(15) range and CA lineup. I'll make my decision after actually handling these... Hopefully I'll be able to LISTEN to them as well :) No matter how it looks/feels, I'd HATE my gun to sound like a fruit blender ;) So sound will be important too...

 

 

But anyway - the main AEG dilema is: how do I distinguish between a 3 year old model with it's old gearbox,etc and a new 2005/2006 model?

 

I am most uncertain about the pistol though... :( From what I can gather, GBBs (while fun) are no where near as reliable as the AEGs and to top it off have much lower life expectancy (about 7000-10000 rounds max?). I would love to get one anyway though, just which one??? I am not particularly bothered whether it'll be a glock or CZ or colt... only want it to have decent accuracy and to be reliable...

I would also prefer it to be the most recent model (2005) since the manufacturers seem to learn on their mistakes and usually correct them in their later models.....

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if you plan on buying guns -

 

1. get whatever gun you want to. if you're looking for an Armalite (M16/M4 type), go for a CA or ICS. dont bother with tm.

 

2. before you go, get as much written and vocal assurance as you can about transporting AEG's with whichever flight company youre with. also check with the airports at both ends.

 

its only the guns that will cause you any concern, and possibly magazines. as long as you do everything possible to let everybody know what you're doing, you should be alright.

 

bear in mind i havnt been to HK, but thats most deffo what i would be doing. also buy as much stuff as you can afford to, you WILL NOT get it cheaper.

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Thanks for your replys , guys!

Not sure the exact date I'll be flying - I had my ticket cancelled (the flight had a stopover in Doha, and they do not let anyone with Israeli visa/stamp in the passport!!! :flamed:... I visited Israel about two years ago... Still can not believe that "piece of legislation" :rolleyes: ) I 'm looking for other tickets now, so it'll be sometime in the beginning of April now.

 

Could sombody have a look at my technical questions as well? :)

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in general newer AEG's and GBB are better, but tbh in HK you'll be hard pushed to find anything that isn't up to date in those terms. you can be pretty sure what you're buying in HK is the newest stuff.

 

as i said, apart from the 'really' cheap brands, TM guns will have the lowest FPS and range - other than maybe the M14, but thats not what you're looking for. CA will be fine - is shooting near enough to the UK limit out of the box.

 

GBB only over freeze/vent gas if you really rapidly fire all the mag off. if you use it normally you wont have any problems. not really anything to worry about. obviously this is more of an issue in full auto pistols.

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Hi, I was in Hong Kong last November and dragged my long suffering wife around all the shops in Mong Kok and HK island. From personel experience the best servive I had was from UN Company on HK Island and War 4 Toys in Mong Kok. Thses were the only two shops with staff that spoke reasonalble English and understood what I was after. Un Company especially as they built a custom PSG1 for me. If you can, buy with a credit card as you will get some purchase protection with it. And when checking in at the airport tell the staff at check in what you have in your bags. You will have to go through a security check (with an armed escort!) but as long as you are up front and honest you should have no problems. If your really lucky the HK swat member checking your luggage will be an airsofter and tell you you've got cool toys!

 

Have a good trip :)

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A keyword almost everyone will understand is wargame. They might not know what airsoft or softair or skirmishing is. Wargame is the big word there.

 

The "QRF" shop in Mong Kok sells realsteel accessories such as iron sights and other stuff for pistols. No airsofts, but it's worth a visit. The brands are known high quality stuff like Ed Brown, Heinie, TDI and so on. They are very good in english and had time to chat everytime I dropped by. Some of the stuff will fit airsofts like Magpul stocks and such. I got myself some Bianchi .357 Speedstrips and a cool MP5K T-shirt. If you're after a realsteel ARMS SIR or such, this is the place to visit.

 

I didn't have an entire gun when I went to check in at the airport, but a PGC metal kit for the TM P226. I didn't see any signs and was unaware that those items need to be separately checked, so I just got into the airplane without mentioning anything, and there was no hassle whatsoever. I don't recommend being ignorant if they really have these rules, just sharing some experiences.

 

-Sale

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What!? So it's not just about guns but any parts also? Hot damn! I had a bag full of upgrade parts, a green laser, red dot sight, pistol scope, pistol grips, an M16A2 steel outer barrel and front sight, the P226 full metal kit etc... Lucky I didn't get caught.

 

Sending the parts wouldn't have been a good option for me, because in addition to the shipping costs, there would be custom fees and 22% VAT waiting for me when I get home. And a big bill for storing the items, because I wasn't going home for another 8 weeks after I left HK.

 

It's unbelieveable that they push people around like that for utter nonsense. I can remotely understand the problem with gun-like objects, but even parts?

 

-Sale

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Oh yeah, Supreme Co on the 18th floor of Park-In Commercial Center. Excellent gear and quite good prices. If you need realsteel top notch vests like Blackwater and Eagle, this is your shop. They also have cheaper stuff by BHI and a cheaper brand called MagForce. MagForce seemed really good for the price so I got a thigh panel with removeable M16 mag pouches. If you have a soft spot for knives and a big wallet... Yep. :) They also have an excellent selection of SureFire stuff.

 

They sell upgrade parts for airsofts, but no guns.

 

-Sale

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If you're gonna bring guns back with you, its a REALLY GOOD idea to tell the people when you check-in. From personal experience, if you don't, you'll get called out to go to have you luggage checked. Then, you'll get members of the airport security unit, along with their Mp5s and Glocks :), going through your luggage and inspecting your guns, and asking questions.

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Thanks a lot for your replies, guys! Much, much apprecieated!:)

 

I'll be definitely going now (recieved my tickets) on the 1st of April:) I'll be staying on the Lamma Island, district Yung Shue Wan:)

 

@JCYC5:

Thanks a lot for the offer! I'll pm you when I arrive. I was actually considering PMing a few Hongkovities:) mainly regarding skirmishing/places/prices/gatherings... I think I'm ok with the shops now:)

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Thanks a lot for your replies, guys! Much, much apprecieated!:)

 

I'll be definitely going now (recieved my tickets) on the 1st of April:) I'll be staying on the Lamma Island, district Yung Shue Wan:)

 

@JCYC5:

Thanks a lot for the offer! I'll pm you when I arrive. I was actually considering PMing a few Hongkovities:) mainly regarding skirmishing/places/prices/gatherings... I think I'm ok with the shops now:)

 

Looking forward to it!

 

Yung Shue Wan, Lamma Island? That's quite far... is there a reason that's where you're staying?

 

(There is a hotel in Mong Kong that is literally 2 minutes from the "gun street"...)

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Ubijza, thanks for your PM, my number is 9581 4009 and my real name is bronney. You're welcome to call me when you arrive and I play regularly with 3 groups of people, 1 of the groups only do paid sites with rentals. So I can hook you up if they host games.

 

Fellow members Denihilator also hosts games regularly so you can get in touch with him too. The problem is if my freelance job comes up I can't go too often but Sunday should be fine.

 

Finally you said you never GBB or AEG before, please prepared to be broke. You won't believe how airsoft can suck your money unless: 1. you have unlimited access to cash, 2. you have a strong sense of will and can resist sex if offered, 3. you've already pruchased everything, or 4. you're NOT in hong kong. lmao. You're so dead I tell ya.

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That's unfortunate that my place is "far away"... Oh well, I'll have to rely on your fabled public transport then ;) We've got a bit of relatives' reunion on neutral territory and lamma island was chosen since my uncle who's currently working in HK, lives there...

"There is a hotel in Mong Kong that is literally 2 minutes from the "gun street"..." - hehe, maybe next time i come to HK - I am not an airsoft junkie JUST YET, remember...I am actually looking forward to a lot of other things Hong Kong, apart form the airsoft/shopping :flamed: - this will be my first ever trip to the far east... :)

 

@Bronney:

Thanks a lot for such a great reply!

"1 of the groups only do paid sites with rentals." - I'd be much obliged. Please do!

Spending wise... I know what you're saying! Looks like I'll have to work on my will power in the next week or so - everything else does not apply :D

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Yeah... I remember walking around HK at night alone (I know, I know, big mistake...hey, I had Ma'Duce) and having like, twenty women (some that were fairly attractive) offer "massages" or "happy endings" to my rough day. Oh! How rough! Shopping in Mong Kok! (/sarcasm).

 

But no, seriously. You can get better sex in Bangkok or Phuket. Save your money for airsoft and don't risk the AIDS and STDs.

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