Help needed - Really want to start Airsoft BUT..

[WillMidz]

Hi everyone, I’m in a right pickle when it comes to deciding whether to get into Airsoft or not. My biggest fear after the amount of things I’ve read about the reliability of Airsoft guns (AEGs because that is what is recommended for a Beginner/New to Airsoft) is that it’s going to become another hobbie like Mountain Biking where I spent more time repairing the bloody thing than enjoying it for what it allows me to do and the sport itself. Playing Airsoft is what I’m interested in for many reasons. A constantly broken gun will prevent me from enjoying those things whilst eating away at my bank account which I can’t justify when It’s bringing me little pleasure.
 

Could you guys give me your honest opinion please? Your honesty will either put my concerns to bed and allow me to continue my journey into “Getting into Airsoft” or not. I’m willing to spend money initially for a good AEG to ensure i get a reliable piece of kit but from what I read, no AEG is reliable in general.

So that you know what I’m looking at to compare against what I’m saying, here are the guns I’ve looked into and consider good quality : Specna Arms Edge 2.0 or Prime. Surely £300 secures a reliable gun as it’s not exactly entry level ?

I know things will break as ALL things in life do BUT I’ve read that people have an issue with a gun that is considered “good quality “ I.e £300+ after nearly every game. 
 

Investing in a gun that doesn’t require modifying for a good while as I’m new so good to play with out of the box that is reliable and if it breaks, is typically cheap to repair would be enough to get me into Airsoft. 

 

[neh0]

First off, rent and rent trying different sites, styles and weapons. Find out if airsoft is for you. If it is get a site membership so you can buy a RIF and not a 2-tone (controversial I know).

Regarding rifs. Spent just under £300 on an G&G AEG plus battery and charger a year ago. Been used and abused in all weathers. Not missed a beat. Did the same for my son and it lost a screw of the hand guard first time out but apart from that also been solid.

Stick to a brand, see what other players use. 

 

[Mik3F]

You will need to bear in mind that to buy a RIF you will need a UKARA or other form of valid defence unless you don't mind getting a two toned gun, or have someone who can buy the gun for you

Have you considered a Starter Bundle from Patrol Base or similar for your first gun?

Alternatively have you considered a pre owned Gun?

Have you been to a site and played so you know what you are getting youself in to

Most sites will have rental guns available to use for the session at an additional cost

 

[The_Lord_Poncho]

Plenty of very reliable options for not much money (and frequently, more expensive does not equal more reliable). Most things start to go wrong when people tinker with them (albeit, that is part of the fun to be fair). If you haven’t actually played yet, go along to a couple of days and rent the kit so you can see if you like it.  But once you do, you can get some good solid guns for less than £200 that should last a good while. Obviously, nothing is perfect, and you might get unlucky. but the good news is that parts are cheap, and  - with youtube as your guide - fixes are usually easy.

 

[Anonymoose]

There's nothing to stop you renting every time if you're reluctant to buy. 

 

[WillMidz]

Hi all, absolutely overwhelmed with this forum from the get go at how quick your responses were and how positive and honest they are ! Thank you . 
 

Now, in response to your questions and comments : 

1)I have booked a session at my local site and I have booked a rental kit. This will allow me to get a feel for whether or not I enjoy the sport BUT I very much anticipate I will! At 28 years of age I know who I am and what I like. 
 

2) if I enjoy it , I am going to get my UKARA from that site but my questions are in preparation for when I have my UKARA. 
 

3) I am looking at starting with a Specna Edge 2.0 because I want a gun that is accurate for that price range , reliable , company has good customer care and quality control during the warranty period, quick spring release makes me take a liking to it instantly , good quality parts usually mean longevity. (But I could be wrong with Airsoft which is why I’m seeking advice ). Also from what I see G and G s compared to Specna for like for like come out more for the G and G for what you get which is why I’m leaning towards the Specna but again , what do I know. Hence why I’m seeking advice. 
 

4) Are people exaggerating when they say their guns fail out of the box nearly every game when I’ve read the reviews of guns that people recommend and are priced around £300? I feel as though they aren’t quite telling you what they’ve done to the gun themselves .. ie tinkering . Surely out of the box they can’t be that bad ! Or they would never sell! 

By the way, I do expect to have maintenance / repair costs over a reasonable period of time. I’m a Quality Engineer for aerospace.. Mechanical parts break, require servicing , and regular cleaning and inspection. But, my plan would be to service the gun at the start of the year , to play for the spring and summer. So I’m expecting 6 months play and full service which sounds sensible to me. Playing once / twice a month. 

 

[Mik3F]

Hi all, absolutely overwhelmed with this forum from the get go at how quick your responses were and how positive and honest they are ! Thank you . 
 

Now, in response to your questions and comments : 

1)I have booked a session at my local site and I have booked a rental kit. This will allow me to get a feel for whether or not I enjoy the sport BUT I very much anticipate I will! At 28 years of age I know who I am and what I like. 
 

2) if I enjoy it , I am going to get my UKARA from that site but my questions are in preparation for when I have my UKARA. 
 

3) I am looking at starting with a Specna Edge 2.0 because I want a gun that is accurate for that price range , reliable , company has good customer care and quality control during the warranty period, quick spring release makes me take a liking to it instantly , good quality parts usually mean longevity. (But I could be wrong with Airsoft which is why I’m seeking advice ). Also from what I see G and G s compared to Specna for like for like come out more for the G and G for what you get which is why I’m leaning towards the Specna but again , what do I know. Hence why I’m seeking advice. 
 

4) Are people exaggerating when they say their guns fail out of the box nearly every game when I’ve read the reviews of guns that people recommend and are priced around £300? I feel as though they aren’t quite telling you what they’ve done to the gun themselves .. ie tinkering . Surely out of the box they can’t be that bad ! Or they would never sell! 

Re point 4 - Any respectable gun will have a warranty if bought brand new from a retailer so should anything go wrong you are covered, assuming you don't take it apart and tinker with it yourself

 

[AK47frizzle]

Hi all, absolutely overwhelmed with this forum from the get go at how quick your responses were and how positive and honest they are ! Thank you . 
 

Now, in response to your questions and comments : 

1)I have booked a session at my local site and I have booked a rental kit. This will allow me to get a feel for whether or not I enjoy the sport BUT I very much anticipate I will! At 28 years of age I know who I am and what I like. 
 

2) if I enjoy it , I am going to get my UKARA from that site but my questions are in preparation for when I have my UKARA. 
 

3) I am looking at starting with a Specna Edge 2.0 because I want a gun that is accurate for that price range , reliable , company has good customer care and quality control during the warranty period, quick spring release makes me take a liking to it instantly , good quality parts usually mean longevity. (But I could be wrong with Airsoft which is why I’m seeking advice ). Also from what I see G and G s compared to Specna for like for like come out more for the G and G for what you get which is why I’m leaning towards the Specna but again , what do I know. Hence why I’m seeking advice. 
 

4) Are people exaggerating when they say their guns fail out of the box nearly every game when I’ve read the reviews of guns that people recommend and are priced around £300? I feel as though they aren’t quite telling you what they’ve done to the gun themselves .. ie tinkering . Surely out of the box they can’t be that bad ! Or they would never sell! 

Unfortunately, airsoft is still very much a hands-on and unregulated hobby. Like with biking (as I do myself), most things are "good enough" but not great out of the box. You will often have to spend more and tinker yourself to tick all the boxes you are after. There are an unbelievable amount of trash copies of trash copies of trash copies out there, and usually all copy the same design flaws. Best to ask before buying because it is a minefield out there. You'll be surprised at how many people say "I already bought X, is this a good gun?".

The customer service and warranty you are looking for will mostly be from the retailer you bought from, not the brand itself. Patrol Base is usually a good place to start. The brand label usually won't give two shits about you. That being said, of course, not all brands are equal. The only brands that I can confidently recommend out of the box are CYMA Platinums, Arcturus, and G&G guns right now. Other brands usually have some cut corners that end up exploding if you even attempt to change anything, including the spring, such as brands like NUPROL and Double Eagle from my experience.

 

[ButcherBill]

As with ALL products that are mass produced... they sometimes fail, which is a good enough reason for renting until you get your UKARA (min 56 days from your first game), that'll give you plenty time to decide if you like it & want to buy the gear you want.
If you're a mountain biker you'll already know how things go... start off with a lowish budget and more than double your investment on stuff that make the experience more enjoyable or simply guchi.

It's not a cheap hobby but could easily be done on any budget, you'll need to play 3 games at the same site, 2 within 56 days & 1 after 56 to get registered, once you have your UKARA you'll know if you want to continue & you'll have seen the kit others use (they may even let you try their pews), you'll easily learn what you like or don't like, most (but not all) are AR, AK, H&K based and are multi adaptable without any tech skills. Read the threads in these forums & drool over the pics and you'll pick up on any issues with makes or models of pews, some low budget items are cracking to use & some high end items are difficult to use consistantly but most are rewarding to use with regular cleaning & maintenance.

I personally started with a two tone Scar-L which cost me £159.99 and I used it in most games until I got my UKARA & went MAD with my budget.

 

[Anonymoose]

I personally started with a two tone Scar-L which cost me £159.99 and I used it in most games until I got my UKARA & went MAD with my budget.

Slight understatement. ?

 

[ButcherBill]

Slight understatement. ?

There's a quote from someone from a few months ago... If your bills are paid you have no-one to answer to except yourself. ?

 

[Anonymoose]

There's a quote from someone from a few months ago... If your bills are paid you have no-one to answer to except yourself. ?

Oh you don't have to answer to me. ?

I don't think your budget went mad, i think it went out the window and off to a whole other galaxy! ?

 

[Barry Sayer]

There's a quote from someone from a few months ago... If your bills are paid you have no-one to answer to except yourself. ?

Boys like their toys...girls like their gifts....simple ?

To the OP

You can spend a very modest amount or an astronomical amount, just do it, rent , buy, just give it a go ?

 

[ButcherBill]

Oh you don't have to answer to me. ?

It was your comment lol

 

[Anonymoose]

It was your comment lol

I know. ?

 

[Tackle]

@WillMidz welcome mate, nearly all of my guns are stock, never serviced or upgraded, unless something breaks, which is very rare & even then I'll usually only replace the broken part.

One of them, an early tm m4s, is at least 23 years old & probably had in excess of 100,000 bb's through by myself & mates, it's not even had its hop rubber replaced in all that time.

So I think it's safe to say, aegs on the whole are very reliable, & nearly all cases of early failure I've seen is because they've been tinkered with, sometimes by the shop techs.

So play your first game, if you like it (you will?), get another couple of games under your belt, & then the world's your oyster as they say.

 

[Reef]

I spent £160 on my first AEG and used it heavily for a year before fiddling with it. Even then I didn’t really need to but wanted to try and improve the performance. TBH I wish I’d left it alone as I haven’t made it any better. 
I don’t regret buying a ‘cheap’ first rif as I spent more on accessories and protection. I think it took a good 6 months of playing before I got a loadout I was happy with.

One thing I’ve learnt is everyone have their own favourite, both style of gun and make. It’s a lot like Pivot, YT, Specialized, Santa Cruze, etc. They’re all good and do pretty much the same thing, you’ll have loads of fun whatever you buy, but you will want to move on depending on what style of play you end up preferring.

 

[Rogerborg]

)I have booked a session at my local site and I have booked a rental kit. This will allow me to get a feel for whether or not I enjoy the sport

Good call. Make the most of the day. If in any doubt, ask. In particular get a marshal, or another player who knows what they're doing to check that your rental gun is properly hopped (a flat trajectory on the BBs), and if you run into any issues with it, let a marshal know straight away - they should sort it or replace it.

3) I am looking at starting with a Specna Edge 2.0 

It's a solid choice. Loads of features, including a decent mosfet / fire control system. I'd argue that it's actually a bit more than you need for a first gun, but if you stick with airsoft then you're unlikely to regret it.  There were some concerns with the Orion gearboxes in some of their range a couple of years back, but I have one of the "bad" ones, and run it as a 1.8J DMR without it cracking (yet).

The one thing I'd note is that they tend to come with an M120 spring (too hot for a UK AEG) and an M90 spring, which will likely be a little lower on power than is ideal, but perfectly playable (hop is more important), and easily changed if you want to pep it up a bit.

4) Are people exaggerating when they say their guns fail out of the box nearly every game when I’ve read the reviews of guns that people recommend and are priced around £300? I feel as though they aren’t quite telling you what they’ve done to the gun themselves .. ie tinkering . Surely out of the box they can’t be that bad ! Or they would never sell! 

I've had no issued with CYMA, Specna, or Jing Gong AEGs. G&G are also robust, although their base guns have fallen behind on features.  Everyone has their own opinion and experiences, but the only brand I absolutely wouldn't touch is VFC.

And yes, I suspect a lot of issues come from people fUlLy UpGrAdInG their toys, then wondering why they break.  Tokyo Maruis, for example, are well made in Japan, and the template which most other guns are copying. However, they're designed to run at around 0.8J, and cranking them up to 1.1J for UK use just by slinging a hotter spring in can result in tears before end-ex.  CYMAs, on the other hand, are more Chinesium and agricultural, but are built for around 1.4J, and run under-stressed on UK fields.

I’m a Quality Engineer for aerospace..

Oh, don't worry about it then.  There's nothing complicated inside an AEG, and each individual part is cheap to replace, if you need to.  You probably won't have to though. Thinking about it, I've never had a failure that wasn't my own fault, and easily sorted.  The only part that I've ever changed out pre-emptively was the plastic (!) bushings on my XR-5, but that's a meme gun.  There's very little on the market now that's actually bad.

And if you get bitten by the bug, you'll likely find reasons to get a backup, and a backup-to the backup, and a backup-to-the...  

 

[WillMidz]

Guys , once again thank you for your responses! Sorry if I miss anyone or anything in my response, there’s been so many since I last posted ?

@AK47frizzle

This is what I noticed . A very hands on activity /hobbie. I don’t mind if it’s simpler than a full suspension electric mountain bike because my ORBEA was just too much for a novice biker. I’m always casual in whatever I do and things like mountain biking require a hell of a lot of time , patience and money. £1500 mountain bike full sus electric is nothing compared to what everyone was riding at my local trail. One ride round my local trail and the derailleur broke .. £300 to replace . I cannot do this again.. it was mental / emotional torture ?? 

@ButcherBill

Again, relating to my mountain bike experience , thank you! Doubling my budget with Airsoft is fine if it’s a £300 gun. Doubling my budget with a mountain bike budget was thousands and I hated cleaning the bike , servicing the bike and repairing the bike. I think hobbies like that you have to love every minute of being round the bike. Can’t just dip in and out. 
 

I like your quote but my partner may disagree ??? 

@Tackle

That’s really reassuring thank you. What guns do you have and what do you recommend for me as a new starter. I really like the M4s as people say their parts are common and for this reason, easy to replace. 
I cannot wait for my first game. I’m just prepping for the day I get my UKARA ?? 

@Reef

what was your second gun my friend ? What did you go up to? 

—-

Everyone else. I’ve read your comments and I’m digesting all of it so thank you! It’s something I wanted to do since I was a kid but I’m a cautious cat. I ask 1000s of questions before I do anything ? 22nd Feb is my first ever Airsoft session and it’s at a CQB site. indoor

—-

Would you advise against the Specna Arms Edge 2.0 as my first gun? Am I better off going with a cheaper gun and getting experience with that first ? 

 

[Emergencychimps]

Some really great advice is in this thread. 

You can do it cheaply, you can spend a fortune on it and both groups will have good days and bad days! 

I'd strongly recommend renting the first 3 times at least, not just to get your ukara but so you can give it a good honest go. There are loads of elements that are great, but people (including me at times) fall out of love with the sport all the time, it's easy to love it the first game and by your 4th that passion is waning. Renting for 4/5 games and still loving it confirms you love the sport enough to start buying kit and guns, it also gives you enough knowledge on what works etc. before spending your money.