Want to start Airsoft... help and advice please!

[Rick87]

Morning all, ibreeeeally want to get into airsoft and just need some advice please. I've watched some videos so understand the basics around equipment and laws etc. But do I just turn up at somewhere local? How often are events etc? I live in Aylesbury, anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

 

[Musica]

Find a local site and book a rental package.

Wear a  hoody, jeans and boots if you have them if not old trainers you can ruin without worrying.  You really want gloves as finger shots are really sore but you obviously need to be able to use the controls trigger safety etc so cycling gloves are a good substitute but any will help as long as you can so some fine motor skills.

Just go see if you like it before spending any money I wouldn't even recommend getting boots or gloves unless you could use them outside airsoft.  If you enjoy your first game and want more we can recommend loads of kit and gear to look at but there is no point buying eye protection or airsoft specific kit before you go to a game. 

 

[Rick87]

Thanks for that appreciated. I have some kit as I was in the army when I was younger so good to go on the boots front etc.

But do you just turn up and go? Silly question I know but is there a minimum amount of people or can I just turn up by myself? Do you happen to know any good locations around the Aylesbury area?

 

[Musica]

Thanks for that appreciated. I have some kit as I was in the army when I was younger so good to go on the boots front etc.

But do you just turn up and go? Silly question I know but is there a minimum amount of people or can I just turn up by myself? Do you happen to know any good locations around the Aylesbury area?

Click to shrink...

It's all field dependant.  Hopefully someone here knows a site local to so you can message that site and see about their rental packages and game days. 

 

[Iceni]

Yup look for a site and book yourself in on a hire.

There are different site types. Indoors/CQB that tends to be faster paced and have lower gun power levels, Outdoor/woodland that tends to be more cover and flanking. It's better to pick a local site so you can go a few times and get your UKARA so you can pick up a gun.

You already have the training and expect it to be exactly as you imagine. It's wargames.

Gear wise there is nothing you can wear that will be seen as wrong. Military camo is perfectly fine, A bit of Webbing/Vest/Plate carrier will hold mags just like the real deal. But mag capacities are much higher, Real cap 30ish bb's, Mid cap up to 150bb's, High cap 400+ per magazine. Jeans and T's are also fine. Most players don't care all that much unless it's a mil sim game, as they normally have rules for dress.

Airsoft guns look real enough but have no recoil for the most part. If you want recoil you need to be looking at gas blowback guns.



Airsoft laws are mostly based on how the guns look. They look realistic and as such you will be arrested for walking about with one. Keep it in a bag going to and from site, Keep it out of the way of kids at home.  It's the same as you would do for a sports rifle or air rifle.

Ukara is a system for retailers. They have to be sure you are a player or a re-enactor. So the number is how they check on that. It is illegal for them to sell you a gun without making sure you are not going to be running about the streets with it! The number is how they do this. It takes 3 games on the same site, over a period of more than 2 months to get a number. Once you have it you can buy what you want without any issues. Owning a RIF even without a number is perfectly legal, All of the laws are for what you do with it, and the sale of them.

For face protection, you can run just goggles, but if you want to keep your teeth safe a full face mask is recommended especially for CQB. Have a look at the Dye I4/I5 face masks.


All owned guns that are brought onto a site are energy output tested before the games start. They call this process Chrono. And all sites have a power limit. If your gun is over the limit you will not be able to use the gun. Most sites are between 300 and 350 fps. 1-1.13 joules for fully automatic. Single shot has a higher limit.
 

 

[Keldon]

For sites you have Wycombe Airsoft in High Wycombe to South of you, to the east you have Sentinel Airsoft The Outpost near Dunstable and a little further away down the A41 you have Reforger and Red One The School. I'm only down the road in berko so let me know where and when you are going and I'll see if I can tag along. 

 

[GAMBLE]

Hi, ?

Always keen to help a New Player!

if you still have your gear it will help being outdoors, for a number of reasons. ?

Find a local site, if not be prepared to travel, it’s worth it for a good site. 

If you like the site get yourself a UKARA license sorted out, which will help with purchasing RIF’s (Realistic Imitation Firearm), also helps in case obad situations! 

Rentals should be reliable, depends on how they are maintained!

Listen carefully during the rental brief, any problems, they should sort it out! 

The rules will be explained by the Marshals before a game and if not sure just ask the Marshal during a game.

The most important rules:

1)DO NOT TAKE OFF OR MESS WITH YOUR EYE PROTECTION DURING A GAME!!! ?

2)CALL YOUR HITS!!!

Always fun to go with friends, if not, solo is not so bad! 

Depending on the site and players, you quickly make friends on your team even the other team. 

Hope this helps, just my opinion and good luck starting! ?

?GAMBLE?

 

[Rogerborg]

Silly question I know but is there a minimum amount of people or can I just turn up by myself?

Click to shrink...

Just book a rental package and turn up.  It's not like the early days of paintball when it was all rental stag-dos and corporate team building.  Most airsoft sites will be mostly regulars with a smaller number of hires. You're absolutely fine to show up solo.  Just ask the marshals or regulars for guidance on the day, airsofters tends to be a friendly bunch.  Just be aware that asking about someone's favourite toy gun is likely to result in your ears being talked off.

 

[Rick87]

For sites you have Wycombe Airsoft in High Wycombe to South of you, to the east you have Sentinel Airsoft The Outpost near Dunstable and a little further away down the A41 you have Reforger and Red One The School. I'm only down the road in berko so let me know where and when you are going and I'll see if I can tag along. 

Click to shrink...

Thankyou everyone much appreciated!

Keldon I'm going to go for the first time in a few weeks (unfortunately got some house work to finish first) not sure which site to visit so happy to just go with the flow. Where would you suggest?

Thanks again everyone!

Hi, ?

Always keen to help a New Player!

if you still have your gear it will help being outdoors, for a number of reasons. ?

Find a local site, if not be prepared to travel, it’s worth it for a good site. 

If you like the site get yourself a UKARA license sorted out, which will help with purchasing RIF’s (Realistic Imitation Firearm), also helps in case obad situations! 

Rentals should be reliable, depends on how they are maintained!

Listen carefully during the rental brief, any problems, they should sort it out! 

The rules will be explained by the Marshals before a game and if not sure just ask the Marshal during a game.

The most important rules:

1)DO NOT TAKE OFF OR MESS WITH YOUR EYE PROTECTION DURING A GAME!!! ?

2)CALL YOUR HITS!!!

Always fun to go with friends, if not, solo is not so bad! 

Depending on the site and players, you quickly make friends on your team even the other team. 

Hope this helps, just my opinion and good luck starting! ?

?GAMBLE?

Click to shrink...

Hi Gamble... with regards to the UKARA license, how do I register my 3 games. Will the site provide me with a book to stamp? Maybe another silly question?

Cheers

 

[GAMBLE]

Hi, ?

Ask them and they should give you a piece of paper fill in your details, put the dates you went and you must get them signed off, once you’ve completed your 3 games in the space of time allocated, they take the paperwork, they may take a pic or you provide one depending. Then you should get your license, which you pick up, shouldn’t take long! 

Then you can buy what ever requires a UKARA code online and best keep it with you just in case! 

Hope this helps? ?

?GAMBLE?

 

[DrAlexanderTobacco]

Hi Gamble... with regards to the UKARA license, how do I register my 3 games. Will the site provide me with a book to stamp? Maybe another silly question?

Cheers

Click to shrink...

It'll depend on the site you go to but most places will have a marshal that says "come see me for UKARA paperwork" at lunch or at the end of the day - track a marshal down before the day starts properly if you want to confirm what to do.

When I got my UKARA at "First and Only - The Base CQC" I basically wandered over to the showrunner at the end of my third game, I was asked to show him the 3 booking emails I received for each game, then filled out the paperwork and handed it over along with £10.

 

[Yukarin]

UKARA and licence in the same sentence!

Calling @Rogerborg 

 

[Rogerborg]

UKARA and licence in the same sentence!

Calling @Rogerborg 

Click to shrink...

Eh, if I ever get tugged by the fuzz, you can bet that I'll be referring to it as a "licence" too.

 

[Stevo4345]

My experience with UKARA; Humber Airsoft club membership has the same requirements as UKARA, so on my final qualifying day I filled out the club membership form and they registered me for my UKARA. Only paperwork I filled out was for the club. Got my Club member card the same day including my assigned UKARA number, UKARA confirmation email arrived a couple of days later.

The site assigns your number, but you need to wait a day or two for it to get into the system the retailers check.

All very painless really.

 

[Keldon]

@Rick87 not free for next couple of weeks either but I'm off to the outpost on the Saturday 16th so if your free I'm happy to be a battle buddie for you. 

 

[Monkeywrencher]

There's also sabotage at swanbourne, freindly smaller site no problems being on your own. game days are getting less frequent though, next games not till the end of november and it's a night game so probably not ideal as a first game.