Chock

Replacement steel hammer set for one of my TM clone Kimber GBB pistols. 15 quid from some Hong Kong website I've never heard of, so fingers crossed eh? Just also bought a spare mag for that Galaxy MP5K PDW I ordered, not that I should need to swap mags on something with a high cap mag, but I prefer to have a second mag for all guns in case one of 'em goes tits up. It was about a fiver from AEG cart Asia and is actually not listed as being for the G5, but as that G5 is basically a TM clone, I assume it will fit, I also got a GBB valve key to make it worth paying for the postage. Also 15 quid in total.

Wear what you like. If anyone else doesn't like it, that's their problem. I will happily mix things up from time to time, I quite often wear an OD vest with black combat pants and black top when doing CQB, because it is practical and the camo doesn't matter much. Yes some people will freak out when they see that kind of thing going on and start lecturing on it, but using odd uniforms and what is to hand is common in real conflicts: Kriegsmarine submariners in WW2 famously wore abandoned British Army Battledress blouses and pants left behind when the BEF bailed out of Dunkirk, and that was not simply a different colour, it was the enemy's uniform, although in fairness, it was very similar to the proper Kriegsmarine submariner's jacket. Interesting MTP/DPM comparison vids:

It's a fair point, and whilst I agree that some of us (including me, I know) do sometimes chip in with a lot of legal stuff, quite often opening ourselves up to accusations of being barrack room lawyers, I think in this instance it was not without some justification, since there were two legal issues arising, the legality of selling a RIF and the legality of selling something which technically is not yours to sell. I suspect the girl was never going to get into GI Jane mode herself, so it was unlikely to put her off going to a skirmish, but it might conceivably kept her out of court. Taking advice is not compulsory, nor is trying to ensure that someone doesn't fall foul of the law when they ask for help, but I think it was the responsible thing to do in these circumstances. I agree with Ian (and doubtless many others) as far as the VCR Act is concerned. It's a clumsy law, open to much interpretation and in many cases nigh on impossible to enforce effectively. And like many laws, it invariably ends up just being a pain in the ass for law abiding citizens, but not for criminals, who simply ignore it. But it is the devil we know (or at least the one we are stuck with), so if we wish to be regarded as responsible people, it's probably not a bad idea to be seen to be like that, particularly on a forum which anyone can read. I daresay there are plenty of young turk politicians, who would like nothing better than an excuse to get their face on TV with a crusade to ban airsofting. Not because they really have a desire to do see it gone, but rather because it is an easy popularist target which can trade easily on the ignorance of those not into it, who might imagine that we could somehow perpetrate a massacre with our toy guns. So the more I can do to not provide them with an excuse legislate our entirely harmless enjoyment out of existence, the better.

Any cheap PMR446 (personal mobile radio transmitting on 446Mhz) will do at a push, however, different brands and types take different headset pins and that is where the problems can start, since some cheap PMRs can have odd jack sockets, which makes finding a headset which will work difficult. I would recommend going for radios with the Kenwood type two pin connector, as this is very common and so compatibility with a lot of mics and headsets is assured. Pretty much all PMR446 radios will have 16 channels, and can be coded to scramble the signal so that someone else with a similar radio on the same channel will not pick up your transmissions, a bit like an 'intelligent squelch control', so the smart thing to do is buy a pair, so that you know they are at least able to do the same thing. so although there are only sixteen channels, you do not need to worry about someone hearing you comms. As Lozart says, range can be affected by the environment. PMR446 radios in the UK are licence-free, but they must be limited in power for you to be able to use them legally without a wireless telegraphy licence (they must be no greater than 500 mW effective radiated power, and they must use an integral antenna). This means they are typically good for about five or six miles range over open unobstructed ground, which is more than adequate for woodland sites, but considerably less when inside vehicles or in built up areas. There have been cases where dxers (radio buffs) have made contact with PMR446s at ranges of 150 miles, but these are exceptional occurrences where atmospherics have probably allowed signals to bounce off cloud layers to get past the curve of the Earth. Having said that, I've used PMR446 radios at Trojan's Wear Mill site in Stockport with no problems, and that is a six storey (including the basement) 15 bay brick mill, with stone stairwells, built in 1790, so it's not a flimsy building by any stretch of the imagination, and you can talk to someone five floors away from you with no issues. Since you are considering headsets, and probably throat mikes too, the smart way to go about it would be to ensure that you can get affordable ones of those with widely compatible pin types, and then match the radios to those. With that in mind, a good choice would be something like these Boefeng 888 radios: http://www.amazon.co.uk/400-470-BaoFeng-Rechargeable-Headset-Headphone-black/dp/B00S16ISJ0/ref=sr_1_22?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1422791903&sr=1-22&keywords=BAOFENG+BF-888 However, you should be aware that it would probably be illegal to use them straight out of the box without a wireless telegraphy licence, since they will not be transmitting on permitted PMR446 frequencies, since they are capable of transmit and receive on a frequency range of 400 to 470MHz. PMR licence-free usage must be on frequencies between 446.0 and 446.1 (i.e. your sixteen channels will be between 446.00625 MHz and 446.09375 MHz). This is not a problem though, but it will require you to reprogramme the radios to permitted frequencies. So, in addition to the radios, you will also need to buy one of these, in order to connect your radio to a PC, so that you can reprogramme the legal frequencies into the radio's memory: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Generic-Quality-Programming-KENWOOD-Baofeng-Black/dp/B00G1WSUP8/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1422791964&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=BAOFENG+BF-888+programming+lead or this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Programming-Cable-Baofeng-UV-5R-Radio/dp/B0083H56MY/ref=pd_bxgy_ce_img_y If reprogramming the radio sounds complicated, don't worry, it isn't at all. All you need to do is download this driver (there are a few, for different PC operating systems, so choose the right one): http://www.409shop.com/shop_displaynews.php?id=292 Then download this software (there are instruction on how to use it at that link): http://www.miklor.com/BF888/888-SW-ZTV68.php It's basically just a simple spreadsheet interface, where you would type in the correct (i.e. legal PMR) frequencies you wanted to use. Of course you'd have to do it for both radios. The frequencies you want would be something like: 446.00625 MHz 446.03125 MHz 446.05625 MHz 446.08125 MHz 446.01875 MHz 446.04375 MHz 446.06875 MHz 446.09375 MHz That software will also let you change the radio's default interface language from Chinese to English, which I assume you would also want to do unless you are fluent in Mandarin lol. So, having sorted all that crap out, unless you want to use the radios as hand-held walkie talkies (difficult when you are holding a gun), you will want some other bits and bobs. You could go real basic and get one of these, and leave the cable hanging on your shoulder, a bit like you see many police officers doing: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-PIN-Handheld-Speaker-Mic-Indicator-Lamp-BAOFENG-UV5R-888S-H777-KENWOOD-Radio-/201086267495?pt=UK_ConsumerElectronics_SpecialistRadioEquipment_SM&hash=item2ed1acf067 Or, you could go with something like this, with a PTT (push to talk) button: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B00CR009M0/ref=asc_df_B00CR009M024083740?ie=UTF8&condition=new&tag=pgmp-15-410-21&creative=22282&creativeASIN=B00CR009M0&linkCode=df2 Or you could go all 'Nam' with one of these replica Prick 25 radio handsets: http://www.airsoftworld.net/z-tactical-h-250-handset-for-pmr-radios-kenwood.html Or, if you want a throat mike and an earpiece, you could go with something like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-RETEVIS-Throat-MIC-Earpiece-PTT-for-Kenwood-RETEVIS-WOUXUN-BAOFENG-888s-UK-/181502001456?pt=UK_Headsets&hash=item2a425cc130 The important bit to note overall, is the pin type that your radio has for connecting headsets etc, so whatever you go for, make sure you know you can get all the bits you want to use with the pin type which your radio has. Hope that helps. And don't say 'over and out' like they do in the movies, or you will sound like a twat, because that is actually nonsense as far as comms go.

Welcome aboard

Welcome aboard

Wanted an inexpensive AEG MP5K to go with my GBB one which is less than ideal in this weather, so I've just bought a Galaxy MP5K PDW for 65 quid from Gunfire Poland

It is perfectly okay for him to do that, if it is so he can go airsofting with it at a skirmish site. All of the defences relating to manufacturing a RIF mention in Section 36 are subject to the caveat at the top of Section 37, so it's worth noting the exact wording of that: 'It shall be a defence for a person charged with an offence under section 36 in respect of any conduct to show that the conduct was for the purpose only of making the imitation firearm in question available for one or more of the purposes specified' So whilst not having a UKARA registration means the person could not easily buy a RIF, that is simply because traders have no easy way to check if he is into airsoft, i.e. it would be they who do not have a specific defence if they supplied a RIF to him, so as a consequence, they'd sell him a two tone. But he on the other hand does have one when it comes to knocking one up for himself: he is making it available for the purpose of airsoft. So I didn't mention any of that in my post. I know, it's a silly law, and one which would be damn near impossible to enforce anyway, because as long as someone said, 'yeah, I'm off airsofting next week at such and such a place, it's for that.' if they got collared for painting a two tone up as a RIF, and Bob's yer uncle, the defence applies and the charge would be dropped. The CPS know that even the crappest, greenest defence brief in the world would just read that bit of the law out in court and the case would have to be dismissed, so they'd never go to the expense of even trying to take it to court. It's difficult to know how such a charge could arise anyway, providing they were doing that at home and not out in the middle of the street and acting like a dick with the thing, which hopefully nobody would be doing. Back to the topic at hand however, the really important bit whether it's a RIF or a two tone, is stick it in some sort of bag of case when you travel to and from your skirmish, and you won't get any hassle at all. Nobody is going to check your defence if you do that, because simply being at the airsoft site skirmishing with it is your defence.

Misquoting is attributing something to someone which they did not either say or write, I quoted part of your post, the part I was responding to. The reason I did that, is because yours intimated that what I had written was incorrect, which it wasn't. More to the point, you even noted that yourself further down on your own post, which basically made it completely pointless to quote me in the first place.

Never had a RIF from them, but I have had Gas Blowback MP5 mags from them and they got to me with no trouble at all. If you can get them to put your UKARA registration number on the packaging, then there's no reason why you should have any bother.

Welcome aboard Pretty much any spring shotgun is skirmishable, even the 20-30 quid cheap ones, although of course you generally get what you pay for, so there's no guarantee that a cheap one will last too long. Having said that, I've got a cheap ass Mossberg 500 one that manages just under 350 fps and I think I paid 25 quid for it. So you should be able to find something a lot better than that for 40-50 quid. I would say shotguns are more suitable for CQB than for woodland stuff though, since when you get up close and personal, most CQB sites have a semi auto fire only rule in place, meaning you're at less of a disadvantage in having something you have to rack for every shot. But, I would also say that they are perhaps not the most versatile thing you could buy for a first gun, and something like an M4 would be a better bet. The reality is that whilst in the real world a shotgun in combat is a good thing to have because of its short range power and wide blast cone, since you can also blow door locks out with them, launch baton rounds, make DIY cut slug shells etc, etc, whereas in airsoft, a shotgun is simply a gun like all others, but with a slower rate of fire. Yes some of them can fire three BB at the same time, but if you are on target, one BB is as good as three. However, if you are set on having a shotgun, it's worth being aware that a lot of the 'tactical' ones with only a pistol grip and no rear stock, are not as easy to aim as the ones with a stock, since with the stock under your arm, they tend to be pointing in the right direction.

Canadian C3 gas mask (20 quid ebay). Going to modify the lenses so that it's suitable for airsofting and put a fan vent system on it.

You need to read Section 37 of the VCR Act. It says quite clearly that it is an offence to so, subject to the defences in Section technically yes, but you need to read Section 37 of the VCR Act if you believe that you cannot make a RIF without risking prosecution. Section 36, Subsections 1 a and b, of the VCR Act is the bit where it does indeed state that manufacturing a RIF is an offence, but Section 36, Subsection 2, states that Subsection 1 only has effect subject to the defences in Section 37. Thus it is a suitable defence for anyone charged with manufacturing a RIF under Section 36 of the VCR Act, if they can show that it was for the purposes of making that RIF available for airsofting. In other words, so long as you are into airsofting and have been to a recognised (i.e. insured) airsoft skirmish site, you can cheerfully spray or remove paint from every single gun you own if you like and make it as realistic as you want, because if you were ever charged under Section 36 of the VCR Act, you would only need to prove that you did so for the purpose of using it in an airsoft skirmish. You don't even need a UKARA Registration to prove that, you could simply point them to the insurance waiver that you signed at an airsoft site when you first went there (which is a legal requirement for their insurance to be valid, so they will have got you to do so), which means it is down in writing that you are an airsofter from an independent witness. That being the case, any such prosecution would be dropped.

What you have to do, is apply a bit of common sense really. The specifics of the VCR Act might not be a particularly clear all encompassing guide to which colours and patterns are acceptable, but the intent of the law is clear enough, any two tone paint job is supposed to make it apparent to a casual observer that it is not a real weapon. I don't think anyone in their right mind would paint their real M4 or AK in bright orange, so it's obvious that when you see a rifle looking like that, it's a pretty safe bet that it is not a real weapon, whereas that snakeskin pattern which AW offered looked kind of cool, and I could see someone painting, or wanting to paint their real AK or M4 in that kind of way. So in my opinion, that AW snakeskin pattern might have been following the letter of the law, but it certainly wasn't following the spirit or intent of the law, and is someone gets shot by an armed response unit whilst playing with one of those in some private field or garden or whatever, then I would regard AW to be somewhat to blame for it, because that paint job does not make it obvious that the thing is not a real weapon.

Those Project Z ones are mostly cheap ass crap, not all of them but you can regard that as a good rule of thumb, I do in fact have a Project Z Kahr TP45 springer pistol which is not bad, but it is cheap and it won't last, and I knew that when I bought it, but I also knew that when it did break, it would still look nice on my wall, and I've got loads of other much better guns, so when it breaks, it will be no big deal to me to turn it into a wall hanger. Cybergun (who make that Project Z M4) is not always a terrible make (they make a quite nice licensed Thompson Sub Machine gun, and some licensed Kalashnikovs too), but there is absolutely no way that one you linked to will be as good as the G&G, not in a million years, it's built to meet a low price, and the internals are accordingly not good quality, as you would expect with something built to a price rather than a good standard. The G&G one on the other hand, is built like a tank and will last you years. It will hold its value too if you later wanted to sell it, you'd be lucky to get ten quid for that Project Z one if you tried to sell that, because it will be broken. Also note that the one you linked to has a US two pin wall charger with it, so unless you have a converter, you'd be buying another charger to charge the thing up, which means it'd be another 25 quid anyway. The G&G one has a better battery too incidentally, so that'd be another thing you'd be forking out to replace. The Project Z one is all plastic internals, so it's going to break quickly, and in fact I'd put money on it breaking sooner than the Black Viper ones, and I'd avoid those too. Trust me and everyone else on this, either get the G&G in two tone, or use hire stuff for a few games and then save up and get it. You will be sorry if you don't do that, I can absolutely guarantee you that. You are in the fortunate position of being able to benefit from good advice here, I can't make you take that advice, but you should do so. I know it's tempting to buy something when you are excited about a new venture such as getting into airsoft, and we all like to save money, but if you buy that cheap one, it will be a false economy and you will end up having to buy something better, so take a deep breath and let common sense rule your decision, not a fleeting impulse.

You've made a good choice with that rifle, I have a very similar one myself, which I have as a back up to my DBoys M4 (which in fact was originally two tone when I bought it), although to be honest, the G&G one may end up taking the lead because I think it is a slightly better gun. In any case, you can take two tone paint off easily enough with a bit of Fairy power spray cleaner or oven cleaner (don't use paint stripper or varnish remover on anything other than a metal gun, you'll melt the ABS plastic!!). It's not a legal requirement to have a gun two toned when it is in your possession, only a legal requirement for the place selling it to you to make it two toned if they have no way of confirming that you will be using it for airsoft. There are plenty of threads on here about people taking two tone paint off stuff, for example, I very recently stripped the blue two tone paint off the stock of an A47 and then painted it up to look like wood, you can see the results on the 'what have you just bought' thread a couple of pages back if you are curious. The reason I did that, was that even though I do have a UKARA registration, the two tone version was on some BB gun site at forty quid cheaper than the black/wood coloured one, and for a saving of forty quid, I was prepared to make the effort to strip the paint off!

Hi and welcome. You are not making a massive mistake, but you are also not picking the best you could. Black Viper are fairly cheap and cheerful guns, they aren't terrible, but they certainly are not the best and they won't last very long, nor take much punishment. To elaborate, I bought a Black Viper AK12 from that same site, but I bought it with the express intention of immediately swapping the internal gearbox out of it (which is plastic, with plastic gears) and putting in a decent metal one, which I did. The only reason I did so, was because at the time, there was not (and still is not, any other AK12 airsoft rifle available), so what that meant is that to make a 60 quid gun decent, I had to put in a 50 quid gearbox, which meant that the only way it became a decent gun, was by it costing me about 110 quid, and I would not have done that had there been a decent AK12 available. It's also worth noting here that it wasn't a straight 'drop in' transplant, there was a small amount of work involved, which is another thing to be wary about with cheap guns, a lot of spares will not be available should it go wrong, which it will, sooner rather than later. You can read about that swap on the AK12 thread on this forum, if you are curious, and there are pics which will illustrate the differences in quality of that little experiment. But in your case, there are decent G36 and M4 rifles available which are vastly better than those Black Viper ones, and they will cost you about 120 quid, which is more, but that is what you will be paying to get something which will not only be good out of the box, but will be something that will last, and shoot better, and can be improved further should you wish to do so. Check this link out, for a good starter deal: http://airsoftzone.co.uk/airsoft-zone-deals/starter-pack-deal-with-cm16-m4-carbine-with-crane-stock-bright-green-aeg-gng Pretty much everyone on this forum will tell you the same thing. Yes a very cheap gun is attractive, but it is what it is - a cheap gun, and you can expect it to perform and last like a cheap gun will, i.e. you will wish you had not bought it and spent a little more on something better. If that happens, the extra 40 odd quid you could have paid for something decent will seem like a bargain, and you will kick yourself for not having done so. Trust me, spend the little bit extra and you will be happier with your choice.

Nah, not chrono'd it yet, but I'm guessing it's not slow. May very well be hot in fact.

Probably less important to have a fancy fast draw holster if you are going with a pistol as your main, but as you probably know, in CQB there's often a bit less breathing space during which to load unless you do it at your respawn point, so even if you do tend to keep the pistol in your hand, at some point it will be worth getting a holster you can get the gun in and out of quickly. Good thing about a 1911 though, is that they have the beaver tail, which is great for keeping the gun in the holster securely with a clip strap across it, so lots of holsters do suit it. One that you might consider, as an inexpensive interim solution, is the 58 webbing canvas holster for the 9mm Browning Hi Power. I have one of those, and I occasionally put my long slide Kimber Warrior (Hi Cap modernised 1911) into that, which fits it very well, although it can take Glocks and stuff like that too. They can be found cheaply if you search about, for example: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/58-Pattern-Webbing-Holster-For-Browning-9mm-Hi-Power-/291364438841 That one is identical to mine, (which I've had for about 35 years, although I recently made mine black to suit my CQB loadout). As you can see from the pics of that one on ebay, it has a belt loop as well as a number of other fixings which allow a bit of experimenting on how it can be attached to stuff.

Snowing outside, but my SRC GBB AKS74U just managed thirty shots out of its 45 round mag on WE green gas, quite impressed. GBB MP5K managed all fifty out of its mag, which frankly might be the work of the devil considering the relative mag sizes. Both on .25s too.

This is true at some sites, but most sites I've been to (including Trojan and First and Only's sites) cover knife use in the briefing, and that includes being allowed to throw knives, only specifying that knife throws, like grenades, have to be underarm, and knives have to be the bendy training sort. After all, if you can fire a BB at 500 fps at someone, a bendy plastic knife, tossed underarm, is hardly likely to do worse. It's probably more common to see it at CQB sites than woodland ones though. But obviously, if they say it's a no-no at the briefing, then don't do it. As with any practice at an airsoft site, if you are unsure whether it is allowed, ask at the briefing, not later on with a marshall, since if you ask at the briefing, everyone will hear it and be clear on whether it is, or is not allowed.

To be honest, a three inch spread at forty feet range is pretty good, certainly tight enough to be a hit on a human-sized target when aiming at the centre of the body mass. And let's be honest, forty feet is a long way, waaaay further than most pistol engagements with either real weapons, or airsoft ones, typically occur. To put that in context for anyone trying to picture that range and how it equates to the average range of a fight, forty feet, is ten feet longer distance than the entire external length of a London Routemaster double-decker bus, and if you've ever sat at the back of such a bus on its top deck, then you know how people sat at the front appear to you in terms of target size, and that's about 27 feet away. Moreover, I'd be willing to bet that if you clamped the pistol stationary and fired it, you'd find that it was hand movement which was causing most of the variance in grouping, and there is little anyone can do about that, it's just a fact pistols - both good and bad - are tougher to aim because of their short length, and what you've got, is a good pistol, so as the old joke goes, what you may need to modify, is 'the nut behind the trigger'. You may be interested to know that when it comes to pistol types for police forces, the 'rule of three' is often employed, i.e. statistically, most pistol gunfights last three seconds, where three shots are fired, at a range of three yards. So the really important thing with a pistol, is getting it out quickly, bringing it onto the target quickly, and firing it quickly. These are things you can practice in your house (dry firing), and that is actually a good place to do it too, because you can turn the lights off and practice that drill purely by muscle memory rather than sight, so it really drills in there. What you may find therefore, is that more useful upgrades for your pistol, would be a laser, a holster you can get it out of quickly and easily, and plenty of practice at drawing and firing (that is unless you are going pistols only, and even then, you don't want to be fumbling about holstering pistols when changing mags or lobbing grenades).

You could always just get a multipack of circlips, they are not expensive, most hardware stores will have them, or if there is no hardware store near to you, try these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-SILVERLINE-INTERNAL-AND-EXTERNAL-CIRCLIP-PACK-255-Piece-245020/150689518282?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140122125356%26meid%3D8e3d17a8d8ec4d28b682943b6ad876fc%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D270659863117&rt=nc or http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EXTERNAL-C-E-CLIPS-CLIP-CIRCLIP-DIN6799-FULL-RANGE-new/270659863117?_trksid=p2054897.c100204.m3164&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140407115239%26meid%3D53be376712214712a97e0519fb1072bd%26pid%3D100204%26rk%3D6%26rkt%3D28%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D311171258293 It's no bad thing to have some kicking about for future repairs, and a fiver is hardly gonna break the bank

Welcome aboard Everyone's a noob at some point, but not for long, so don't worry about asking stuff, there's no dumb questions. So ask away. If you're doing CQB, obviously light and maneuverable is the thing. So gun-wise, small is good: UZI, Mac 10/11, MP5K, P90, AKS74U, Skorpion, short M4, tactical shotgun etc. Keep in mind that some CQB sites are semi-auto only, and those that aren't may still have a semi-auto only rule at short ranges, so avoid anything that can't go semi-auto, such as the ASG STEN gun (well, not without modification anyway), which would otherwise be a good CQB choice. Also be aware that many small SMGs such as the UZI and the Skorpion have high rates of fire and comparatively small mags, which can easily leave you out of ammo at an awkward moment, whereas most things like an AEG MP5K or AEG AKS74U, will come with a high cap mag (typically something like 300 rounds), so there's less expense initially in not needing to buy spare mags straight away, and the likelihood is that the one high cap mag will last the entire fight without the need to reload. Most people and most guides will tell new players to not worry about a pistol until later, and whilst that is generally good advice, in CQB, a pistol is a good thing to have to hand, and you could even go pistol only at some small CQB sites. But, it being winter, gas blowback pistols can be iffy choices, since they can struggle to work well in cold temperatures, so if you are considering a pistol, then either a non-blowback gas one is a better choice, since they are cheaper and more efficient on gas, or more preferably, an electric semi-auto pistol, since they'll perform okay all-year-round whether it is hot or cold. At a push you can use a cheap cock and fire springer pistol, but it's slower and not ideal, although they do have the virtue of being reliable and inexpensive. A plastic knife is also a good thing for CQB, since although you can touch someone with your hand and say 'knife kill' at most sites, and it will count, one thing you cannot do is throw your hand, whereas obviously you can throw a plastic knife, and as with a BB, a hit anywhere on someone with a thrown knife will count as a kill. Make sure anything you do buy has a bendy plastic/rubber blade though, or you will not be able to use it. Similarly, grenades can be a game-changer in CQB. But be sure to check with your regular site as to which kind are permissible (typically that will be BFGs - blank firing grenades - but check anyway). they can be pricey, so make sure that if you do get one, you don't get one that is something you cannot use at your local site, for example, some pyro grenades cannot be used at sites where there is combustible material such as curtains in the place. If you get a tactical vest or webbing, be sure to get something that you can easily open and close the pouches on when it's cramped and dark (as it often is in CQB). Practicality wins over cool looks every time. Ebay and Amazon are the place to look for inexpensive ones. Worry about getting cool top notch crap later on. Get a small portable torch. You can mount a tac light on your weapon, and that's a good idea in CQB, but a small torch is also good to have for things like reloading and such. Make sure you wear full face protection and cover your neck, a helmet is good too, but a baseball cap will suffice. You will take more hits to the head than anywhere else in CQB, and at those kind of short ranges, even a sh*tty cheap springer pistol will fire a BB fast enough to smash a tooth out. An Arabian Keffiyah (shemagh) scarf will provide good neck protection, and you really do want to cover your neck, because a BB hit on your Adam's Apple will make your eyes water, and it will also draw blood. Take a small water bottle, even in winter you will dehydrate when running and diving about all over the place. Consider knee and elbow pads. CQB sites invariably have hard concrete floors, and that will hurt your knees if you kneel down behind cover. failing that, consider wearing long johns under your combat pants, they will help to stop hits hurting so much, will keep you warm in the present winter and will also provide additional protection from hit, bumps and bruises. Gloves are not a bad idea too. Your hands will take hits, since they are generally exposed to fire because you are holding your weapon with them, and a BB hit on the fingernail in cold weather will hurt like a motherf*cker. Any old thin leather gloves from a cheapy shop will do, but make sure they are a snug fit so that you can operate your weapon's safety catch easily. Hope some of that helps. You'll be an old hand in no time, but when it comes to buying gear, think carefully and don't let your heart rule your head. Almost everyone who starts out ends up buying some crap that they later don't use or regret having bought, so be sure to ask on this site if you are unsure about whether anything is a good or bad choice. Airsoft gear may not be free, but good advice is, and there is plenty available from the people on here. Have fun and enjoy it. It's a really cool hobby to have and one which will let you do many cool things.