Newbie after advise please!

[m3gt2]

Hello, I have little or no idea about airsoft/bb guns.

My son (9) has said he would like to have a gun (pistol) which I dont mind as he will only use it with supervision in the garden but I really dont know where to start.

Could someone please suggest guns, targets, goggles and website/shops (if shops in Leicester area). Is there anything else I should know about? If he likes it would he be able to join a club or is he too young for that? If so how old would he need to be for that?

Many thanks, Chris

 

[JoelE]

Hello, I have little or no idea about airsoft/bb guns.
My son (9) has said he would like to have a gun (pistol) which I dont mind as he will only use it with supervision in the garden but I really dont know where to start.

Could someone please suggest guns, targets, goggles and website/shops (if shops in Leicester area). Is there anything else I should know about? If he likes it would he be able to join a club or is he too young for that? If so how old would he need to be for that?

Many thanks, Chris

Click to shrink...

I'm 15 years-old, and recently purchased my first gun. The gun I went with was a Double-Eagle SOCOM Mark 23 Model 0. Highly recommended for beginners, comes with a mock silencer, 1 magazine & a few BB's. It's a great gun, And can be purchased off of various sites such as - bbguns4less.co.uk

As for anything else, just tell him to be responsible, Safe and have fun. I recommend you look into UKARA gun law for shooting in gardens. There can be complications. Just make sure he isn't visible to the public while shooting, and try to make the amount of BB's going off of your property minimal. If you do this, you should be fine. As for joining a club, It depends on the site. For my local site, it requires you to be at least 14 years-old, and be accompanied by an adult up to the age of 16. As for goggles, masks etc. A regular paintball mask should do fine, but every airsoft site is different about eyewear. Just make sure it complies with their rules.

Hope this helps!

 

[Richard65]

Hi Chris,

It would probably be worth visiting First and Only in Leicester (www.firstandonlyairsoft.com) as they have a shop and you will be able to see a range of guns.

I believe they have a minimum age of 13 plus if they are under 16 then an adult has to stay at the site while they play. They might also know if there are any other sites that do take younger players, otherwise you may have to look at sites that have lazer shooting.

Unless you skirmish yourself (minimum of three times over not less that two months) then you will not be able to buy any RIF (Replica Imitation firearm) but you can buy a two-tone. Several online suppliers stock these and will paint RIF guns to comply with this law.

A decent airsoft gun is quite powerful and capable of firing a pellet 40/50 metres or so. We set up a target in our garden (which backs onto farmland). We put up some netting to help stop pellets going out of the garden - told the neighbours and the farmer what we were doing etc. The target was just printed on A4 paper and then stuck onto a shoe box which was placed inside a cardboard packing case (thicker cardboard). From a distance of around 10 metres (30 foot) the pellets went through into the shoe box and a few even punched through the back of the shoe box into the packing case. At this distance a pellet will make a dent in an empty coke can and could even pucture it.

Some of the cheap two-tones will be less powerful and could be more suitable for use in a garden but it really depends on the size of garden and what is around it.

 

[RR01]

I'm 15 years-old, and recently purchased my first gun. The gun I went with was a Double-Eagle SOCOM Mark 23 Model 0. Highly recommended for beginners, comes with a mock silencer, 1 magazine & a few BB's. It's a great gun, And can be purchased off of various sites such as - bbguns4less.co.uk
As for anything else, just tell him to be responsible, Safe and have fun. I recommend you look into UKARA gun law for shooting in gardens. There can be complications. Just make sure he isn't visible to the public while shooting, and try to make the amount of BB's going off of your property minimal. If you do this, you should be fine. As for joining a club, It depends on the site. For my local site, it requires you to be at least 14 years-old, and be accompanied by an adult up to the age of 16. As for goggles, masks etc. A regular paintball mask should do fine, but every airsoft site is different about eyewear. Just make sure it complies with their rules.

Hope this helps!

Click to shrink...

Just be very aware that BB guns come under the same restrictions as airguns regarding use in and around property, which you either own or have permission to shoot over. You should never discharge any air weapon within 15 feet of a highway (exception is if it's behind a large fence within your property or in a totally enclosed room), the projectile (pellet, BB, etc.) must not be allowed to stray over any boundary fence and you should not allow the weapon to be carried off the property uncovered. A concerned neighbour may decide you are waving a real gun around and call the Police. Definitely NOT to your advantage.

 

[JoelE]

Just be very aware that BB guns come under the same restrictions as airguns regarding use in and around property, which you either own or have permission to shoot over. You should never discharge any air weapon within 15 feet of a highway (exception is if it's behind a large fence within your property or in a totally enclosed room), the projectile (pellet, BB, etc.) must not be allowed to stray over any boundary fence and you should not allow the weapon to be carried off the property uncovered. A concerned neighbour may decide you are waving a real gun around and call the Police. Definitely NOT to your advantage.

Click to shrink...

Spot on my friend.