Old, new and nervous

[Angry Bird]

Hi all. I'm in my 60s and totally new to this arena. My partner has been keen to get into this for some time and I was holding off. I have experience with archery, LARPing and mediaeval re-enactment (all many years ago now), so all this newfangled stuff left me a bit puzzled. I know absolutely nothing about guns beyond a 44 Magnum being the biggest handgun in the world and a .50 Desert Eagle trumps one that says 'replica'.

Anyway, he just bought his first RIF (a Honey Badger!?) and it's a funky bit of kit. I am now deep down a rabbit hole I never expected to be in. I'm learning about MOSFETs and ECFS and the difference between Picatinny and K-loc and about a million other things to do with the safe charging of LIPO batteries. Oh my Gods. So much.

I thought this was a world inhabited by testosterone fuelled teens and wannabe Navy Seals but the rabbit hole has shown there to be people who are as silly as my old LARping buddies (safety was paramount there, too), so colour me interested. I'm now looking to get my UKARA number and a decent first gun (maybe not in that order - we'll see).

Any advice/guidance/suggestions happily accepted. Looking forward to seeing some you at a future adventure.

 

[Galvatron]

Welcome to the money pit! You're in good company.

I would recommend getting a UKARA defence before buying your first gun. Renting is generally the best way to get started unless and some players you'll meet on the field may be the source of some regret as they won't stop talking about their guns or those of their friends.

Renting may seem like dead money but if you haven't played yet, it can be a better investment just in case you decide it's not for you. Also, if you buy an IF (commonly called a two-tone), it will depreciate more than a RIF (realistic colours) as you try to resell it.

The M4/AR-15 platform is the most common for from the rifle side and the likes of Glock, Hi-Capa and 1911/2011 are among the most popular pistol platforms. Some people will happily bemoan more M4s but outside of proprietary derivatives, you won't find a better supported platform in terms of upgrades or customisation.

The most important consideration in airsoft is eye protection. Don't buy goggles, shooting glasses, face masks, etc off Ali Express, Wish, Temu or anywhere similar. It just isn't worth risking your eyes to save a couple of pounds. There are very affordable and practical eye pro solutions as you can get airsoft-ready glasses from £10-20. Good footwear is key too so if you have a set of comfortable boots with good ankle support, use them or consider buying a pair.

We could go on with advice but we may be able to give more helpful answers if you have more specific questions for advice.

 

[Egon_247]

Heh, welcome.
I was in the same position, its a really big hole you're looking into. BUT.... its all good. Theres no need or rush to learn it all, some stuff just kinda sticks as you wander through your game days.
As Mr Galvatron says, do the rental thing first, see if you actually like it, judging by the previous Larping stuff, you'll love it anyway.
And YAY for the honey badger as that was my first RIF. Still have it 5 years later and still my go to pew.
Whereabouts are you in the country? always good to ask about decent sites and as ive always found, airsofters are great people, they'll share experiences and chat for HOURS about stuff. You dont need the absolute best stuff in the universe to have a good time (apart from eye pro/face pro, that kinda needs to be good )

 

[Angry Bird]

Welcome to the money pit! You're in good company.

I would recommend getting a UKARA defence before buying your first gun. Renting is generally the best way to get started unless and some players you'll meet on the field may be the source of some regret as they won't stop talking about their guns or those of their friends.

Renting may seem like dead money but if you haven't played yet, it can be a better investment just in case you decide it's not for you. Also, if you buy an IF (commonly called a two-tone), it will depreciate more than a RIF (realistic colours) as you try to resell it.

The M4/AR-15 platform is the most common for from the rifle side and the likes of Glock, Hi-Capa and 1911/2011 are among the most popular pistol platforms. Some people will happily bemoan more M4s but outside of proprietary derivatives, you won't find a better supported platform in terms of upgrades or customisation.

The most important consideration in airsoft is eye protection. Don't buy goggles, shooting glasses, face masks, etc off Ali Express, Wish, Temu or anywhere similar. It just isn't worth risking your eyes to save a couple of pounds. There are very affordable and practical eye pro solutions as you can get airsoft-ready glasses from £10-20. Good footwear is key too so if you have a set of comfortable boots with good ankle support, use them or consider buying a pair.

We could go on with advice but we may be able to give more helpful answers if you have more specific questions for advice.

Click to shrink...

Thanks. I'm probably going to go along with my partner for the first couple of outings, renting to start with. I'm ok for boots but will definitely spend my first money on decent eye/face protection. I'm sure I'll have questions as I encounter things in the real? world of Airsoft. Looking forward to new and interesting hobby.

 

[tside]

I originally got dragged into Airsoft to support a mate who didn't want to try on his own. 2 years and a lot of money later I go to fields on my own while he flakes on me I'll reiterate not grabbing a rif till you get your ukara it's advice I wish I had gotten early. Renting gives you time to find out what you enjoy and what sort of replica you want to use. Save that money for some good foot wear and some clothes that breath well (something with knee protection preferably) and just have fun!

 

[HZR13]

Welcome

 

[Angry Bird]

Heh, welcome.
I was in the same position, its a really big hole you're looking into. BUT.... its all good. Theres no need or rush to learn it all, some stuff just kinda sticks as you wander through your game days.
As Mr Galvatron says, do the rental thing first, see if you actually like it, judging by the previous Larping stuff, you'll love it anyway.
And YAY for the honey badger as that was my first RIF. Still have it 5 years later and still my go to pew.
Whereabouts are you in the country? always good to ask about decent sites and as ive always found, airsofters are great people, they'll share experiences and chat for HOURS about stuff. You dont need the absolute best stuff in the universe to have a good time (apart from eye pro/face pro, that kinda needs to be good )

Click to shrink...

Thank you for the welcome. Nice to know that the LARPing ought to stand me in good stead . I'm in North Kent. It looks like our first foray will be an indoor site in Gravesend. So we'll see how it goes.